Jesse's Girl
by lifeisbechloe
Summary: Set after PP2 graduation: The Bellas go out and sing karaoke to celebrate, causing a certain redhead to not-so-subtly hint that she's into a small brunette. Will Beca be able to sort out her feelings for Chloe?
1. Gotta Have Jesse's Girl

**A/N:** Bechloe one-shot based on a karaoke night and some buried feelings on both ends. Has potential to be a multi-chapter story, but will probably just keep it at this length. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

"Let's tear this place down!" Fat Amy threw open the door to the sketchy dive-bar, leading the group hesitantly trailing behind her inside. She nodded to the other three occupants who happened to be present in the bar, taking in the scent of cigarette smoke and cheap cologne.

"Why did we let Amy drag us here again?" Beca inquired, furrowing her brow as she addressed her other teammates and the few Trebles who decided to tag along for a 'night out on the town,' according to the Australian.

"We're supposed to be bonding! You know, celebrating the whole 'hey we made it through college, let's go get drunk and sing' sort of thing." Chloe nudged Beca playfully, shooting a smile to the brunette as she clapped her hands.

"Alright! Fat Amy and I will go grab drinks, you guys get settled in before we start our first round of karaokeeeee!" Chloe drug out the last syllable, attempting to spark some interest from the less-than-enthusiastic group standing before her.

Jesse put his arm around Beca as they followed Emily and Benji to a booth, sitting across from the new (and equally as awkward) couple.

"So Becaw, are you excited to sing? You know, really get out there and experience life? Grab it by the horns?" Jesse poked Beca's side playfully, receiving a squeal and death-stare in return.

"The only thing I'm going to be experiencing is this beer rushing down my throat, thank you very much." She signaled to Chloe walking towards their table, balancing a pitcher of beer in one hand and a stack of glasses in her other.

Chloe set the items down on the table before claiming her spot next to Beca in the booth, squeezing in and ultimately forcing Jesse to be uncomfortably pressed against the wall. Benji shot Jesse a look, arching his eyebrows curiously. Jesse just shrugged before grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink, hoping to take his mind off of the awkward predicament he found himself in yet again.

"We don't have to drink, right? I mean like, I will if you guys want me to, but…" Emily's voice trailed off as she picked at her nails nervously, waiting for a response.

"Of course not! Just means there's more for me!" Chloe winked playfully at Emily before taking the pitcher from Jesse and pouring two drinks: one for her and one for Beca. She smiled as she slid the drink over to brunette, flashing a grin before standing up and holding her glass in the air.

"To finally graduating!"

"To graduating!" The group around her clinked their glasses in unison, everyone taking sips before (reluctantly) debating who would go first for karaoke.

"I think it's time I showed you flatbutts what **true** singing is all about." Amy was the first to speak up, rising from her seat and making her way over to the makeshift stage in the corner, signaling Bumper to join her.

"This one goes out to all of the lovers in the room – whether you know it or not." She shot a glance to Chloe, causing the redhead to blush slightly and focus on her glass before taking a large gulp. Beca eyed her curiously, noting the look of embarrassment that spread across the redhead's face. _She's so cute when she gets all flustered. Wait, what?_

The beginning to "Bad Romance" started playing, causing Stacie to immediately stand and start dancing, Cynthia Rose not far behind. Beca's eyebrows shot up as she watched Stacie expertly move her body against CR's, teasing her with playful touches and gestures.

"I thought she was engaged?" Benji questioned, glancing at Jesse for confirmation. Jesse just rolled his eyes as he took another swig of beer, already feeling the effects of the alcohol settling in his stomach.

"I mean she is, but who can resist Stacie? She's hot," Chloe stated, turning around and eyeing up her friends for their reactions before finishing off her glass and pouring herself another.

"Easy there tiger, we don't want a repeat of Hood Night," Beca joked, smiling as she recalled the events in her mind. That night ended with Chloe stripping off her clothes and jumping into the Trebles' pool and swimming with a baby pig before ultimately passing out in Beca's bed wearing nothing but a coconut bra and a grass skirt.

"Okay, despite that one occurrence, I can handle my alcohol pretty well… unlike SOME people in this room." She bumped shoulders with Beca, laughing as she held eye contact with the brunette, momentarily getting lost in her navy blue eyes. Beca smiled sheepishly before taking another sip, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Jesse noticed the exchange and sighed quietly, turning to inspect the suddenly-interesting brick wall to his right as he finished his beer off, slamming his glass on the table. _Why the fuck do I always feel like a third-wheel? This is ridiculous._

Emily shifted awkwardly in her seat, glancing at Benji out of the corner of her eye, before re-focusing her attention on Amy and Bumper (who were now doing a weird variation of the worm across the stage). _Must be another one of her signature dance moves_ she thought as a smile crept upon her face.

Chloe's gaze lingered on Beca a moment longer, despite the fact that the brunette was now also focused on Amy and Bumper, laughing to herself as she watched the blonde chest-bump her boyfriend off the stage. The corners of Chloe's lips tugged upwards as she watched Beca's nose crinkle. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by obnoxious clapping surrounding her as Fat Amy and Bumper bowed, signaling the end of their duet.

"Wow, I would hate to be the person who had to follow up our sexy selves." Amy motioned to her and Bumper, raising any eyebrow to challenge anyone who dared to go next.

Chloe peered around the room to see who was willing to take the dare, but all of her friends were too busy having side conversations to notice. Next to her, Beca and Jesse were having a heated discussion about the ending to _Inception_ while Emily and Benji watched in amusement. The redhead sighed, desperately thinking of a way to get her best friend's attention (it's not like she missed staring into those mesmerizing eyes or feeling the warmth of Beca's hand on hers, nope not at all).

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Chloe's brain, causing her to chug the rest of her beer before standing up.

"I take that challenge."

Beca, momentarily distracted from her current conversation, glanced up at Chloe, mouth agape. Even though Chloe loved karaoke, not even the confident redhead would consider following an act like Amy's. In fact, none of the Bellas had the guts to because when Fat Amy performed, it was always a show that couldn't be topped, no matter how hard you tried.

Chloe noticed Beca staring at her and smiled shyly. _There you go, Beale. You have her right where you want her._ She shot a wink towards Beca before proceeding to the stage, exchanging glances with Amy as she was handed the microphone.

"All yours, Red. Don't get upset when you can't hang with this, though." Amy slapped her stomach before walking away, making her way to the table behind Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley.

Chloe nodded towards the DJ, and a familiar tune started to play throughout the bar. Jesse's head snapped up, eyes widening at the song he knew _too_ well. Beca's gaze was fixated on Chloe, blush immediately rushing to her cheeks once she realized what Chloe was singing.

 **Jessie is a friend,**

 **Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine**

 **But lately something's changed**

 **It ain't hard to define**

 **Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine**

Chloe's smile widened as she saw Jesse stare at her in disbelief. The Bellas all shared shocked glances between each other before cheering Chloe on, Fat Amy whistling in the background. Beca continued to stare into those gorgeous baby-blue eyes, unable to shift her gaze. _There's no way this is about me. Nope. Not a chance._

 **And she's watching him with those eyes**

 **And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it!**

 **And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night**

Chloe started dancing around the stage, dipping her hips slightly as she let the alcohol take control of her body. She knew she would probably regret this in the morning, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She looked up to find Beca staring at her, mouth still open, and Jesse giving her the death glare. She nodded once before breaking out into the chorus, passion consuming her voice.

 **You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **Where can I find a woman like that?**

"Is she really doing this right now?" Benji whispered to Jesse, shooting him a look of disbelief. "I mean I'm all for Rick Springfield, but this just seems… odd."

"Dude, I'm just as surprised as you are," Jesse shot back, raising his eyebrows slightly.

"Shhhhhh," Beca interrupted, swatting her hand without looking, signaling the two to stop talking so she could focus. Jesse rolled his eyes, sighing.

 **I play along with the charade**

 **That doesn't seem to be a reason to change**

 **You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute**

 **I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot**

Chloe continued to hold Beca's gaze as she moved about the stage, looking away briefly to shake her head in time with the music, her gorgeous red hair swaying back and forth. Beca felt her entire body heating up, her hands becoming sweaty. She wiped them on her pants and tried to swallow, but a lump began to form in her throat. _Is this actually happening right now?_

 **'Cause she's watching him with those eyes**

 **And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it!**

 **And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night**

Chloe suddenly descended from the stage, walking slowly over towards the booth where Beca, Jesse, Benji, and Emily were seated. As she passed her friends at their tables, Stacie slapped her ass, encouraging her to continue. Chloe looked back and shot the tall brunette a wink before continuing her strut. Beca's eyes widened, a small smirk playing at her lips. Jesse slowly put his arm around Beca in an attempt to keep her seated, sweat starting to form on his forehead.

 **You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **Where can I find a woman like that?**

Chloe was now standing in front of Beca, giving her a challenging gaze. She arched one of her brows slightly before holding out her hand. Beca chugged the rest of her drink before shaking off Jesse's grip and sliding out of the booth, joining the redhead on the floor. Chloe intertwined their fingers, her eyes narrowly shifting. Beca gulped. _I am so fucked_.

 **Like Jessie's girl**

 **I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **Where can I find a woman...**

 **Where can I find a woman like that?**

Chloe twirled Beca around before leading her back to the stage. Beca followed obediently, eyes still fixated on the redhead in front of her. She glanced down at their hands quickly and couldn't help but notice how perfectly hers fit into Chloe's. But like, all friends think about that kind of stuff, right?

 **And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time**

 **Wonderin' what she don't see in me**

 **I've been funny; I've been cool with the lines**

 **Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?**

Both girls were now on the stage, facing one another dancing to the rhythm of the song, fingers still locked. Chloe playfully winked before stepping closer to Beca, catching the brunette off-guard. She tried to move back, but something about Chloe's eyes made her stay still. They were filled with something she's seen multiple times before – lust. Beca smiled playfully before closing the remaining inches in-between them, pressing their bodies together, one of her legs scooting in-between Chloe's thighs.

 **You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **I want Jessie's girl**

 **Where can I find a woman like that?**

Chloe spun around and dug her back into Beca's hips, forcing a low moan to escape from her mouth. Due to the volume of the music, the moan was barely audible to everyone… besides Chloe. A devilish grin played its way onto Chloe's face as Beca glanced down in shock. She placed her hands on the redhead's body to help herself follow the rhythm Chloe was creating.

"DAMN," CR commented, nudging Stacie in the side. A coy smile played at Stacie's lips as she observed Chloe, giving her a nod of approval as they briefly made eye contact.

 **Like Jessie's girl**

 **I wish that I had Jessie's girl**

 **I want, I want Jessie's girl**

Chloe spun back around, facing Beca and maintaining eye contact as she hit the last note with ease. A huge smile spread across Beca's face as Chloe moved her hand on the brunette's waist. The room fell silent as the music died down, and for a brief moment, it felt like Beca and Chloe were the only people in the world.

Chloe closed her eyes and began to lean in slowly, forgetting where she was. She watched Beca close her eyes in anticipation, flicking her tongue over her bottom lip slowly. Beca could feel Chloe's breath on her lips as her heart pounded in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Chloe became aware of her surroundings and opened her eyes quickly, noticing how close she was to Beca's face (and how she was still leaning, despite trying to stop). She quickly changed her path and planted a soft kiss on Beca's cheek before backing away, smiling. Beca's eyes opened as she let out a breath that she forgot she was holding.

Chloe turned to her friends and smiled, bowing as they jumped out of their chairs and started chanting, giving her a standing ovation.

"CHLOE. CHLOE. CHLOE. CHLOE."

Amy ran up and grabbed the redhead, hoisting her on her shoulders as she paraded her around the bar. The other girls followed, raising their drinks and helping the blonde move around the establishment.

"Didn't think you had it in you, but damn Red, I didn't know you gingers could perform so well!" Amy huffed as she began to slow down, eventually lowering Chloe back to the ground with the help of Cynthia Rose and Jessica.

Beca stayed on the stage, running her hand over the spot on her cheek where Chloe kissed her, her skin still on fire from the contact. She glanced at Jesse, who was shooting daggers in her direction. She shrugged, making her way back to the booth.

"What the hell was that, Beca?" Jesse folded his arms as the brunette rejoined the group, sliding in next to him.

"Are you trying to embarrass me or something?"

"Dude, chill out, it was one song. And besides, Chloe is my best friend. No harm, no foul." Beca poured herself another drink out of the pitcher, putting the last of the alcohol in her glass.

"Now, are you going to pout or are you going to try and enjoy yourself?" Beca shot him a glare before getting up and joining her friends near the bar, taking her drink with her.

Jesse turned to Benji and Emily, anger in his voice.

"I should be upset by this, right?"

"Well, I mean it was just a song, right?" Emily replied in her naturally-cheery tone, hoping to ease the tension that was extremely prevalent. Benji just shrugged, mumbling something about 'calling it' under his breath. Jesse shook his head, glancing over at the group of girls.

Chloe noticed Beca walking over, a look of distraught on her face.

"What's up, Becs?" She threw her arm around the younger girl's shoulder, leaning on her slightly for stability.

"Nothing, Jesse's just being a buzzkill as always. You know how it goes." She laughed, hoping the girls would be too drunk to try and pry any more information out of her.

"You know what that means, right?" Chloe squeezed the brunette's shoulders tightly, leaning down and whispering in her ear, her hot breath making Beca shudder.

"It just means you need to get drunker."

"Oh, DEFINITELY." Beca glanced up into the redhead's eyes, smiling gently. The other Bellas watched silently, smirks plastered on all of their drunken faces.

"Now if you two love birds are done flirting and expressing your undying love for each other… LET'S DRINK, PITCHES!" Amy ordered another round of drinks from the bartender, distributing them amongst the girls.

Chloe and Beca were still staring at each other, goofy grins on their faces. Chloe slid her arm that was slung lazily over Beca's shoulder down to her waist, placing her index finger through one of Beca's belt loops.

"Love ya, Becs." Chloe turned and placed her forward on the brunette's, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. The redhead glanced down at the younger girl's lips, fighting the urge to close the space between them. _Not here, not now_ she thought to herself. _Soon._

"Love you too, Chlo." _More than you know._

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 **A/N:** Thanks for reading guys! All reviews/criticism greatly appreciated!


	2. Trouble in Paradise

**A/N:** So, as many of you know, I ORIGINALLY intended for this story to be a one-shot because I felt the whole karaoke scene needed to be done. However, after some major soul-searching and revelations, I decided to write a bit more. I'm not sure how long this is going to go for, seeing as I have no real plan, but I can promise that it will end with Bechloe (pinky promise). Just bear with me here, and I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Beca attempted to open her eyes, but the pounding in her head made it impossible to do so. Even though it was the sign of a good night (and one she most likely forgot the events to), she hated waking up feeling like shit the next morning. Being blinded by the sunlight that was now pouring through the open window, she threw one arm over her eyes in an attempt to shield them as she heard her phone obnoxiously vibrating on the night stand next to her. Groaning, she turned over and glanced at the time: 7:56 AM. Beca sighed heavily before suddenly realizing she wasn't in her room. She recognized the posters on the walls and the color of the paint- Chloe's room. _How the hell did I end up in here?_ Beca looked over her shoulder and noticed a passed-out Chloe sound asleep next to her, mouth open slightly and hair spread out wildly on her pillow.

Beca laid back down on her side so she could face Chloe. She watched the redhead peacefully sleep, chest rising and falling slowly, as she tried to remember the events that unfolded the night before. Sure, she remembered Fat Amy and Bumper's performance of "Bad Romance" (honestly, how could she forget that), along with Chloe singing "Jessie's Girl." Beca smiled at the way passion filled her best friend's voice as she looked lovingly into her eyes. _Wait, lovingly? What?_ She tried hard to remember what came after that, but her mind went blank.

The brunette was so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the redhead wake up, baby blue eyes staring at her contently.

"Morning, drunky," Chloe playfully teased as she yawned.

Beca jumped slightly, caught off-guard by Chloe's voice since the last time she checked, she was sound asleep next to her.

"Hey now, I was not THAT drunk," Beca shot back, rolling her eyes.

"I had to recruit the help of both Cynthia Rose AND Lilly to get you in her in one piece last night; I think you were drunker than you thought." Chloe reached over and pushed Beca's shoulder playfully, shooting her a small smile.

"Speaking of… why didn't you just take me back to my room? You know, where I could've had an entire bed to myself?" It was a valid question, and the only one Beca was trying to figure out the answer to at the moment.

"You seriously don't remember?" Chloe's eyebrows arched. "Bumper stayed the night and I figured you wouldn't want to wake up to a topless Amy and a bottomless Bumper in the morning, so I brought you to my room."

Beca shuddered at the mental picture that entered her mind, shaking her head to try and rid herself of the image.

"Yeah… good call." Beca smiled, laughing gently to herself, shoulders shaking ever so slightly. "So, what else happened last night, considering I don't remember much after you serenading me in front of the Bellas and Jesse."

Chloe's jaw dropped, eyes widening enough to emphasize just how blue they were with the morning sun hitting them. "Okay, first of all, I did not serenade you; I simply sang a classic Rick Springfield song that I've enjoyed since I was a kid." Blush flooded over Chloe's cheeks almost instantly, and Beca noticed, arching her eyebrow jokingly at her. Chloe pretended she didn't notice, but in reality the small gesture was actually making her blush harder.

"And second, you pretty much got wasted after fighting with Jesse about God-knows-what, considering you wouldn't tell anyone what the actual fight was about, even after he stormed out of the bar. You just kept mumbling something about a 'bad romance,' but we all thought you were referring to Amy and Bumper's flawless rendition of the song."

Beca grimaced, memories flooding back to her all at once. Panicked, she reached for her phone, hoping to send a text to Jesse before he woke up so she could explain herself for calling him a buzzkill (and for also 'embarrassing him' apparently). She unlocked her phone and opened her messages, heart sinking when she saw Jesse beat her to the punch.

 **Jesse (6:37 AM): We need to talk. Text me when you wake up**

Beca sighed, flopping on her stomach and pulling the pillow over her head.

"Okay, so I maybe sort of kind of called Jesse a buzzkill last night and told him to stop pouting," she mumbled into the mattress, voice barely audible.

"Why was he so upset, Becs?"

The brunette sighed. "He got pissed because I got up and danced with you as you sang. Apparently it made him look bad, even though I explained you're my best friend and it was all in fun. He complained about some ulterior motive you have, and I just got fed up I guess."

Chloe smiled, noting that Jesse was not as dumb as she originally thought. She also noted she had to be more careful with the way she acted around the couple, considering they are indeed still together, despite the fact that Beca was oh-so ready to kiss her in front of everyone last night. But never mind that, she was probably just drunk… right?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pulled you up onto the stage. I was just trying to one-up Amy, and I guess I got carried away." Chloe placed a hand on Beca's back, attempting to comfort the brunette as the younger girl groaned into the pillow some more, obviously frustrated by the situation she found herself in.

"No dude it's totally fine, it's just annoying how he always gets on my case when I do anything with you. It's like he's jealous or something, you know?"

"Well he should be… have you seen me?" Chloe nudged the brunette's side playfully. Beca lifted the pillow off of her head and turned her face slightly so she could glance at Chloe, only to be greeted with a huge smirk spread across the redhead's face as she shot back a wink.

"You're so weird," Beca replied, smiling as she swatted Chloe's arm away from her back so she could sit up and begin drafting a suitable text to send to her already-pissed off boyfriend.

Chloe watched her intently as Beca's brow furrowed, signaling she was attempting to concentrate. Chloe took the opportunity to snuggle closer to Beca, nuzzling her head in the crook of Beca's neck. The brunette glanced away from her phone momentarily to notice Chloe and smiled gently before focusing her attention back to the empty text in front of her.

She eventually settled on something simple and hit send, dramatically throwing the phone up in the air to signal just how annoyed she was. It hit the bed with a thud, bouncing off and landing on the carpet a few feet away. Beca sighed loudly, knowing she's going to have to get up and retrieve it eventually.

 **Beca (8:05 AM): Hey sorry I just woke up. I'll be over in 30. Breakfast?**

Beca threw one arm over Chloe's shoulders, shifting slightly to get more comfortable in the admittedly-small bed (and to get a little closer to Chloe, if that was even physically possible). She closed her eyes in a desperate attempt to salvage a few more minutes of peace before the inevitable shit-storm that she would endure over breakfast, when she heard her phone vibrating on the rug.

"Five more minutes," Chloe pleaded, words hot on Beca's neck as she threw her arm over the brunette's stomach, trying to keep her from moving away. Beca smiled to herself, gently caressing Chloe's arm with the pad of her thumb.

"Fine, but only because I'm super comfortable and you're practically holding me hostage."

"How else am I going to get you to cuddle with me if I don't force you to?" Chloe joked, smiling into Beca's skin. The brunette's heart skipped a beat as she felt the corners of Chloe's mouth tug upwards. She was in deep, and she knew it. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Fifty minutes later, Beca knocked on the Treblemakers' front door, knowing very well that she was late and that it would just add fuel to the fire already burning inside Jesse.

He answered the door, face covered in disappointment.

"Look, I know I'm late, but Amy and Bumper occupied the room last night so I had to sneak back in this morning to grab clothes without waking sleeping beauty and her dwarf." Beca tried to smile, but was met with a stone-cold expression. She dropped her eyes immediately, avoiding Jesse's gaze.

"Where did you end up staying last night if you didn't sleep in your room?" Jesse's facial expression didn't change, nor did he avert his eyes from Beca. She could feel them burning holes in her skull, but she refused to look up.

"Well, Chloe thought she would just take me back to her room because –"

Jesse interrupted her. "Of course she did. Figures." He let out a sigh and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. "Whatever, you're here now and I'm starving. Ready?"

"What do you mean 'of course'?" Beca raised her head to meet Jesse's gaze. She noticed something different about his eyes; they didn't shine like how they normally did when they were together. Instead, they were cold, almost as if there was no emotion behind them at all.

"Nothing, just forget about it." He shoved his hands in his pockets and started walking down the sidewalk, hoping Beca would get the cue and follow. She didn't.

"Jesse, stop. What did you mean?" She stood on the front door step, arms crossed, waiting for Jesse to fill her in on what the hell was going on.

Jesse looked down, letting out a deep breath, before turning around and making eye contact with Beca. His once-emotionless eyes were now filled with hurt and vulnerability, and Beca noticed the upset look that was now displayed on his face.

"You just don't get it, do you Beca?"

"Get what?"

"This whole... thing." He waved his arms around sporadically, trying to get his point across. "Chloe. She's in love with you, and you don't even see it." His face scrunched up when he mentioned the redhead, almost as if simply stating her name but a bad taste in his mouth.

"Is this seriously what this is about? Dude, no!" Beca threw her head back in disbelief, because _of course_ this is what Jesse is upset about. "She's my best friend, and has been since I came to Barden. You've always been weird about us hanging out, and I never really understood why. Sure, she tends to ignore personal boundaries more than the average person, but she's got a good heart." _And a nice ass. Wait,what?_ She grimaced slightly. _Focus dude, focus._

Jesse just stared at her, unable to form words. He knit his eyebrows, trying to read the expression on the brunette's face. He sighed loudly and shrugged as he started walking towards her, hands still in his pockets.

"So you can look in me in the eyes and honestly tell me that there's absolutely nothing going on between you and Chloe?" Jesse was now standing in front of Beca, glancing down into her navy blue eyes, lips tightly pressed together.

"I –" Beca just blinked, suddenly unable to form coherent thoughts. Her throat felt so dry, and no matter how many times she swallowed, it felt like she couldn't get rid of the now-persistent lump that was residing there. She knew deep down – like really, REALLY deep down – how she felt about Chloe, but she was never able to say it out loud, not even to Fat Amy (which was saying something, because the Australian was always able to pull information out of Beca, whether the brunette willingly complied or not).

Sure, she liked the warmth she felt when Chloe was pressed against her side, or how she was sometimes met with hopeful and loving baby-blue eyes in the morning whenever she first woke up, or how the slightest touch from Chloe sent jolts up her spine and made her skin burn from contact, or how the two of them were able to sit in complete silence for hours and not have it be weird, or how her heart would race at even the slightest thought of Chloe doing something remotely adorable, or… _Shit_. She knew.

Jesse noticed how Beca's gaze shifted from him to the ground, and he watched quietly as the brunette's thoughts briefly flashed across her face. He placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her out of her trance. She looked back into his eyes, brows furrowed, confusion apparent on her face.

"Beca?" His face was pleading, and Beca could tell just how badly he wanted to hear those few reassuring words. She knew how much it would mean to him, and despite how she felt towards Chloe, she did care about Jesse… it just wasn't romantically. She loved him like a brother, and she thought it would have been enough. Recently, he's proven that it wasn't. She knew what she had to do, but she was scared: scared of what Jesse would think, scared of what her friends and family would think, but most importantly, scared of what Chloe would think. She was scared to be herself; she always had been.

So Beca did what she knew best: she faked it. She lied so it was easier for herself; so she wouldn't get attached. She couldn't bear the thought

She smiled gently, reaching up and cupping Jesse's face with her right hand.

"Trust me, nothing is going to happen between me and Chloe." There was a stitch of pain in her voice as she sighed slightly, but Jesse didn't catch it. He never really seemed to notice the subtle details of her, unlike Chloe who could tell just from the way Beca walked if she was in a good mood or not.

Jesse pulled Beca into a hug, resting his chin on the top of her head. She put her arms around his waist loosely, trying to commit as little to the embrace as possible. She felt guilty, but she couldn't go through with saying how she really felt. Not now (and maybe not ever).

"I'm sorry," he whispered, squeezing the brunette tighter.

 _"Yeah,"_ she thought. _"Me too."_

Jesse pulled back first, smiling widely at her. Keeping one arm slung lazily over Beca's shoulder, they started walking towards the campus diner for breakfast. Beca fished her phone out of her pocket and unlocked it, quickly trying to compose a text before Jesse noticed or could contest. She knew she needed to talk to someone, and she knew exactly who would be able to help her.

 **Beca (9:13 AM): Hey I know it's early too for you to be up and functioning right now, but I need to talk to you ASAP once you are.**

Beca's phone vibrated almost immediately after, and the brunette was surprised to see that Stacie had responded so quickly (and on a Saturday morning after drinking her weight in alcohol, nonetheless).

 **Stacie (9:13 AM): Give me a time and place, Mitchell**

 **Beca (9:14 AM): Our usual spot. Out for breakfast with Jesse right now, text you when I'm done. Oh and make sure you drink some coffee… it's going to be a long day**

 **Stacie (9:14 AM): Thanks for the heads-up, lady killer. I'll keep that in mind. See you later!**

Beca scrunched her face slightly as she read Stacie's new nickname for her. As clever and Stacie-like as it was, Beca was probably the furthest thing from a 'lady killer' that could ever exist. She noted to question her friend about the unusual name later as she nonchalantly slipped her phone back into her pocket, relieved Jesse hadn't noticed how she zoned out she was for the past few minutes. As they continued walking, Beca half-listening to Jesse summarize yet another 'amazing' movie he recently watched, she tried to ignore the pang of guilt she felt when Chloe entered her thoughts.

* * *

 **A/N:** I just want to apologize for the angst. I honestly didn't want to write it, but it just sort of happened and I thought it was actually suiting for the story. There will be less of it in the future as Beca kinda sorts out what her deal is, I promise! (I like fluffy Bechloe better anyways). As always, thank you for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed!


	3. Realizations

**A/N: So normally I don't write this quickly, but for some reason I felt really inspired this morning and managed to write another chapter. I'm not quite sure how many more there will be, so bear with me! I know the general direction I want to take the story so, so fear not. Thank you all for reading, and like always, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Stacie, I'm in deep." Beca collapsed on her back and threw one arm over her face, groaning loudly.

Stacie cocked her head and turned to the brunette, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Are you in trouble with a gang or something? Who do I have to sleep with?"

Beca smiled against her skin, laughing at the ridiculousness of her friend; typical Stacie to offer sex as a way to solve problems, especially her _own_ problems.

The two were positioned on top of a small hill under a tree, overlooking the lake. It was quiet and peaceful, mostly due to the fact that normal people were still passed out in their beds. The two found this spot earlier on in their sophomore year, occasionally visiting when their lives became too hectic or they just needed a breath of fresh air. As far as they were concerned, they were the only two out of their friend group who knew about the spot, which was convenient over the years when the Bella household became as chaotic as it had.

"No but seriously, what's up Becs?" The taller brunette leaned back on her hands as she glanced out towards the lake, inhaling the fresh air and appreciating the view before her.

"Where do you want me to begin?" Beca laughed, trying to play off her serious tone, but Stacie immediately noticed and placed a hand on Beca's thigh in an attempt to comfort her. Beca removed her arm off of her face and sat up slowly, placing her hands behind her for support, as she continued.

"It's just… how did things get so fucked up, you know?" She shot a look over to Stacie, sighing. "It's like one minute everything seems fine, and then the next it all goes to shit and I have no clue what to do."

Stacie nodded, taking a sip from her to-go coffee mug as she thought to herself.

"This wouldn't have anything to do with a certain redhead and a karaoke song performed last night, would it?" She shot Beca a smirk, eyes widening.

"Dude, what? No!" Beca averted Stacie's gaze and focused on the lake in front of her, blush creeping upon her face.

"Beca…" Beca could feel Stacie staring at her, but she refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing her all flustered.

"What makes you think it has anything to do with Chloe?" Beca questioned, brow furrowed.

"Oh please, I have eyes you know. You two were practically all over each other last night, and it hasn't really been the first time. We all see the way she looks at you when you don't notice. It's adorable, but also equally as frustrating."

"Frustrating?"

"I mean, it's not like the feelings are exactly one-sided." Stacie shrugged. "I see the way you look at her, too. Granted it's not as obvious, but still."

Beca threw her head back and closed her eyes, groaning loudly. She knew Stacie was right, but she couldn't bring herself to actually agree with her. Agreeing meant it was real, and she wasn't sure she was able to actually admit her feelings to herself, let alone to anyone else.

"I just don't get it."

Beca opened her eyes to look at Stacie, confusion written on her face.

"Get what?"

"If you care about her so much, why are you still with Jesse?"

"That's the million dollar question, Stace. If you figure it out, let me know." Beca shrugged, collapsing back on her back and closing her eyes again, hoping for a bit of silence so she could organize her thoughts. Instead, Stacie challenged her.

"That whole thing may work on other people, but not me. I think you know why, you're just too scared to admit it to yourself because you've never been in such a compromising position before." Stacie took another sip of her coffee as she intently watched a couple walk around the lake, holding hands and laughing.

"Yeah…" Beca sighed in frustration as she rubbed the hem of her t-shirt between her index finger and thumb, quietly thinking to herself.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Beca shot back. "You're right, dude. I've never been in a place where I actually felt super close and attached to someone, like I couldn't go on without them. I tried to avoid closeness as much as possible growing up, especially after my parents got divorced and all. But with Chloe… it's different. She kind of just forced her way into my life, and it was the first time I didn't mind someone being overly-pushy. It's weird now, realizing I actually have feelings of compassion and all."

Stacie nodded. She may not understand exactly where Beca was coming from, but after knowing the shorter brunette for four years, she had a pretty good idea of what was going on inside her head. Besides Chloe, she and Fat Amy were really the only two people who successfully managed to get Beca to open up, despite her constant contesting to do so.

"But now what's the point in even admitting anything? We're all leaving soon anyways. We have what, a week left tops? Then we all move on…" Beca's voice trailed off as the realization finally hit her: she had a week left with the bubbly redhead and all of her a cappella nerds. This was their last hoorah before leaving Barden and heading out into the real world, and she would be damned if she spent that time being anything but happy.

"But who do you want to move on with, Becs?" The question was easy, the answer was simple. Beca knew exactly what she wanted, and she was tired of denying herself of the one thing that has truly made her happy ever since her first year at Barden.

Beca opened her eyes, turning her head slightly to look up at Stacie. The taller brunette returned her gaze with a small smile, her eyes soft and comforting.

"Dude, why do people always assume you're not smart?"

"People think because I like sex, I must be dumb too. I blame society." Stacie shrugged, clearly not bothered by the stereotypes, even if they tended to give her a bad reputation. Besides the Bellas, everyone believed Stacie only cared about sleeping around; no one knew just how much she focused on her school work or how much she actually cared about her grades.

"So are you going to talk to Jesse?"

"Eventually. I mean, I just explained to him an hour ago how I don't have romantic feelings for Chloe so…" Beca shuddered at the thought of coming face-to-face with Jesse again, especially since she kind of stretched the truth a little to prevent hurting him. Alright, she flat-out lied, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, right?

"Yikes."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, we still have a week, right? A lot can happen in a week. I wouldn't stress about it too much." Stacie placed a hand on Beca's knee, squeezing lightly. The brunette squirmed under the touch, trying hard to not make it obvious just how ticklish she really was. She made that mistake once with Chloe, and she vowed to never slip-up in front of any of her other friends again.

Beca's phone buzzed in her pocket, catching her off-guard and causing her to jump slightly. She laughed as a wide smile made its way onto her face, unlocking her phone to see that Chloe texted her not once, but _five_ times. Stacie shot Beca a questioning look, wondering who made the shorter girl smile so big. She thought about it for a moment, but she already knew the answer.

"Chloe?"

"Yup. I must not have felt my phone vibrate earlier because there are FIVE texts from her. She's insane."

"Or you were just caught up in my beauty and were scouting more options, seeing as you're into chicks now." Stacie flipped her hair behind her shoulder, shooting a wink towards Beca. The shorter girl laughed loudly, shoving Stacie's shoulder. She lost her balance and fell on her side, laughing as she watched her coffee mug roll down the hill.

"You're an asshole, you know that? That was a new mug and now it's going to be all dirty." Stacie pouted, clearly protesting the idea of having to move to go retrieve it.

"I think we all know I'm a jerk, but thanks for clearing up any doubt I had." Beca shot Stacie a grin as she watched the taller brunette slowly get up to go recover her mug. With a minute to herself, Beca unlocked her phone and decided to read the texts Chloe sent her earlier.

 **Chlo (9:57 AM): How's breakfast? Is the wrath of Jesse worse than the wrath of Fat Amy?**

 **Chlo (10:17 AM): I feel like death. I am never drinking ever again… ever**

 **Chlo (10:17 AM): Okay maybe that was a lie**

 **Chlo (10:26 AM): I'm lonely and bored, when are you coming back? None of the Bellas are up yet… not that I can hear anyways**

 **Chlo (10:27 AM): I actually have no idea if they're up or not, I'm still in bed**

Beca laughed because few things are funnier in this world than an extremely hungover Chloe who refuses to get out of bed. Normally the redhead would be the one forcing her to wake up and 'seize the day,' but now the tables have turned and the brunette secretly loves it.

 **Becs (10:28 AM): Miss me already? It's only been two hours, Chlo. I think you need to go to BMA**

Her phone vibrated almost instantly, Chloe's response lighting up her screen.

 **Chlo (10:28 AM): BMA?**

 **Becs (10:28 AM): Beca Mitchell Anonymous. It's where I send all of the people who are obsessed with me**

 **Chlo (10:29 AM): You're so weird**

Beca was too involved with her phone to notice Stacie trudging back up the hill, plopping down next to her once she reached the top. The taller girl watched Beca intently, noticing the way her eyes lit up every time Chloe sent her a new message.

 **Becs (10:29 AM): But that's why you love me oh so much. I'll be back soon, don't worry m'lady**

Beca slipped her phone back into her pocket and looked up for the first time in a few minutes, jumping when she realized Stacie was sitting right next to her.

"DUDE! You just gave me a heart attack!" Beca clutched her chest for dramatic effect, adding a deep intake of breath for good measure.

"Out of all of our friends, I did not peg you to be the drama queen," Stacie teased, shooting a smirk towards Beca.

"Shut up."

A comfortable silence fell between the two, both turning their attention towards the lake. A sigh left Beca's mouth, and Stacie looked over, noticing the way Beca looked so content and relaxed (which was a huge change from when they first met up earlier this morning). Beca broke the silence, feeling Stacie's gaze linger on her.

"I'm not ready to give all of it up yet, Stace. The Bellas, Barden… Chloe."

"We still have a week, Becs."

Beca sighed again. "Yeah, I know… but what if it's not enough?"

"It will be, I promise."

Beca smiled. _Yeah, maybe Stacie was right._

* * *

Chloe laid on her side, arms splayed out in the spot Beca occupied just a few hours earlier. The spot was still a little warm, and the brunette's perfume lingered on the pillow, causing a smile to creep onto Chloe's face. She felt her phone buzz, and her smile widened as she saw Beca's name flash on her lock screen.

 **Becs (10:29 AM): But that's why you love me oh so much. I'll be back soon, don't worry m'lady**

The redhead laughed, because _of course_ Beca would be a cocky asshole this morning, especially since she was the one out and about doing things while Chloe laid in bed, too hungover to function. Speaking of, she couldn't tell if the pounding was in her head or if Amy was going for round two with Bumper. _Dear God, please let it be the first option._

Chloe sighed and closed her eyes, replaying the night's events in her head. She knew singing "Jessie's Girl" was a bold move in any situation, but the fact that Jesse happened to be present when she did made her feel that more badass. The thought of Beca dancing with her sent chills down her spine; she shuddered as she remembered what it felt like to have the brunette's hands on her hips, matching her rhythm effortlessly. It's not like the two haven't danced like that before, but something felt different that time around. It was almost as if there was more passion, more fire behind Beca's actions, and that thought alone made Chloe's heart skip a beat. AND THE KISS, how could she forget that detail? Beca's lips looked so soft and inviting, and she knows she wasn't imagining the shorter girl leaning in, waiting for contact. However, the timing wasn't right, and Chloe knew that, which is why she opted to kiss the younger girl on the cheek instead. There's no way Jesse would let Beca live a full-on kiss down, especially if it was in front of his friends AND the Bellas. Chloe mentally high-fived herself, proud she had at least a little self-control when it came to the brunette.

Admittedly, the rest of the night was kind of blurry, especially after Jesse left in a huff. She recalls mixing vodka with beer (which was not a great decision if her head and stomach had anything to say about it this morning), along with something about a round of drinks being on the house due to her and Fat Amy being karaoke prodigies, but nothing else specific stuck out in her mind besides the fact that Beca looked extremely adorable in her red flannel and black skinny jeans. But if she was being completely honest, Beca looked adorable in just about anything she wore.

Chloe sighed, pulling her pillow over her face. This feeling wasn't new (you know, the one where she was hopelessly in love with her best friend), but that doesn't mean it was any less difficult to deal with. For God's sake, she stayed an extra three years so she could be with Beca – err, be a Bella, whatever. Same thing, right? And now, in one short week, she'd have to leave all of that behind. Her seven years at Barden, her friends, Beca… it was scary. She didn't even know what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go. She just knew she wanted Beca by her side through all of that, whether it was as her best friend or something more, she didn't care; she just couldn't stand the thought of losing her favorite short person.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shriek that echoed throughout the house. A once-silent household instantly turned into a chaotic mess, Fat Amy's voice could be heard over all of the commotion.

"GUYS, IT'S JUST A TINY SPIDER. BACK IN AUSTRALIA, THOSE SUCKERS WOULD TAKE UP YOUR ENTIRE TOILET, CLOG IT FOR A WEEK STRAIGHT."

Chloe smiled, as she heard more yelling, accompanied by a loud bang and some running.

"JUST KILL IT ALREADY! NO, YOU DO IT! OH MY GOD, WHERE DID IT GO? I THINK IT'S BEHIND THE PICTURE FRAME. DEAR GOD IT'S ONE OF THOSE JUMPING SPIDERS! AMY HELP US!"

There was a knock at her door, and Chloe lifted the pillow off of her face so her response wasn't muffled.

"I swear to god, if you're trying to bring that spider in here, I will end you."

The door opened and a confused face peeked around the wood. Beca held up a bag and a to-go cup with a smile, eyeing up Chloe before entering the room and shutting the door with her foot behind here.

"No spider here, just a donut and some coffee. Figured you could use it considering you're still in bed and all." Beca laughed and handed the bag to the redhead, setting the coffee down on her nightstand before plopping on her stomach next to her.

"Dude, I am EXHAUSTED. I'm ready for a nap."

"Becs, it's not even noon yet," Chloe teased, opening the bag and immediately inhaling the scent of her favorite donut from her favorite coffee shop.

"Exactly," the brunette shot back, face still buried in the sheets she was tangled in just a few hours before.

"Also, there's apparently this huge spider roaming around our house according to Emily. I walked in the door and almost got trampled by Amy running around with a plastic cup and a fly swatter."

Chloe's eyes widened. "She better not be using MY cup, I swear…"

"Chill Chlo, it wasn't your cup. I think it was red, so you're safe." Beca lifted her head up and watched Chloe's face soften a bit. She smiled to herself as she switched to her side, propping her head up with her arm so she could focus on the redhead.

"Thanks for donut, I seriously owe you," Chloe stated as she took a bite, humming in appreciation as she closed her eyes to savor the taste. Her nose scrunched, and Beca's heart skipped a beat. _How did she manage to look so cute, even with bedhead and morning breath?_ Chloe started talking again, but Beca was too lost in her own thoughts to hear her.

"Hmmm?"

Chloe giggled, rolling her eyes. "I saaaaaaid, how did your talk with Jesse go?"

Beca huffed, rolling her eyes and collapsing on her back.

"You know, it went."

"That bad, huh?" Chloe reached over Beca to grab her coffee, gently brushing the small amount of exposed skin on Beca's stomach. Chills went up the brunette's spine at the touch, and she closed her eyes to focus on not blushing. It didn't work, as her cheeks still flushed with the familiar red color. Chloe noticed as she looked down, and smiled to herself while laughing lightly.

"I mean, we only have a week left here anyways… and it's not like we're moving to the same place so…" Beca trailed off, eyes still closed as she attempted to hide the hurt in her voice. She wasn't hurt because she knew things were going to end with Jesse (she saw that coming for a while now), it was more of the fact that she realized this is one of the last times she'll be lying in bed next to Chloe.

Chloe's eyes widened slightly as she took a sip out of her cup.

"You think it'll end before we all move out?" She tried to hide the excitement in her voice, but it was damn near possible considering the girl she's been pining after for the past four years might actually be single in the very near future.

"Probably." Beca opened her eyes and noticed Chloe staring at her, but the redhead quickly turned away once she realized Beca was returning her gaze. She blushed immediately, looking down at the coffee cup in her hands in an attempt to hide her face.

"That sucks, I'm sorry Becs." Chloe put a hand on the younger girl's, stroking her arm gently with her thumb.

"Honestly, I'm not even that upset about it, it's whatever." Beca shrugged and shot a smile at Chloe, hoping to reassure the redhead that everything was going to be alright.

"Yeah, if it was meant to be, it'll be, you know?" Chloe tried to maintain her cool as she made eye contact with Beca, locking their gaze. She always loved the way Beca's eyes looked – full of compassion and understanding and just… love. It made her heart swell, and she felt like she could take on the world with just one look from the brunette.

"Yeah," Beca whispered lightly, mesmerized by the blue eyes staring back at her. She felt the all-too-familiar feeling of butterflies in her stomach, and if she ever doubted her decision to end things with Jesse before this moment, she didn't anymore. She knew what she had to do and she knew how much time she had, and god dammit she would give it her all in order to finally be able to come to terms with how she really felt. Beca Mitchell was going to get the girl.


	4. Decisions

**A/N:** There will only be a few more chapters of this fic, so as we come to a close, I just wanted to thank you all for all of the positive responses I've gotten on my first multichapter. You guys have been incredible, and support has been overwhelming. With that being said, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Two days: it's only been two days since Beca realized that she was indeed in love with a certain bubbly redhead, but she swears these have been the longest two days of her life. Between balancing the constant pangs of guilt and attempting to hide her feelings whenever she's around Chloe, she's exhausted. It's only Monday, and she has no idea how she's going to make it through the rest of the week in one piece, both physically and emotionally.

Beca flopped on her bed, letting out a deep sigh as her head hit the pillow. She closed her eyes and tried to forget all of her current responsibilities: breaking the news to Jesse, confessing her feelings to Chloe, but especially the packing she had to do (because who wants to spend hours putting items in boxes just to have to take everything out again). She keeps playing different scenarios in her head, starting with her ending her relationship with Jesse. She knew she'd have to choose her words delicately when the time came, seeing as Chloe was a touchy subject for him. Although it would be twenty times easier, she just couldn't barge into his room yelling "I'm in love with Chloe but let's still be friends," and walk out. If her life was some sappy romantic comedy movie, that option would be viable. However, she quickly learned in her earlier years that her life is indeed not a movie at all, and all of her actions have consequences.

Just as Beca's mind began to roam to Chloe, her phone began buzzing obnoxiously in her pocket. She took it out and glanced at the caller I.D., seeing Jesse's name flash on the screen. _I swear it's like he has a sixth sense knowing when I'm thinking about Chloe_ she muttered to herself before sliding her thumb over the screen to answer.

"Hello?"

"BECAW! What are you up to?" Jesse sounded overly-cheery, and Beca knew his tone way too well. It's the tone he used when he wanted to try and 'casually' ask her to do a movie night, even though she's told him countless times she would rather get her wisdom teeth removed than sit there for two hours staring at his laptop screen.

"Oh you know, just lying in bed hoping all of my stuff will magically grow legs and pack themselves so I don't have to move."

Jesse laughed, and Beca could hear him fumbling on the other end. There was silence for a brief moment which took her by shock, seeing as Jesse always had something to say whenever they talked. Hell, it was hard to get him to stop talking sometimes.

"So… You wanna hang out? Possibly have one last movie-cation before we leave good ol' Barden U? You're gonna love this one, promise."

 _I doubt it_. Beca rolled her eyes, sighing lightly so Jesse couldn't hear her on the other end. These nights always ended the same: her thinking of new mash-ups that she could play for Chloe while he sat completely engrossed in the film, sometimes forgetting that she was even next to him.

"What movie?"

"It's a surprise."

Beca groaned because that sentence meant Jesse knew she would shoot down the idea before even hearing his explanation as to why he picked it. She was ready to quickly deny his request, but she realized he was giving her a perfect opportunity; an opportunity to come clean and get rid of some of the stress she felt over the past 48 hours. She mulled the idea over in her head for a few seconds before ultimately deciding to agree. She knew time was running out, and now was as good a time as any to put all of her feelings on the table.

"Fine, I'll be over soon."

"Sweet! I'll provide the popcorn, like always. Just come in, the front door's open. See you soon!"

She was about to hang up, but Jesse spoke again, this time in a much quieter and timid voice. The sudden change took Beca by surprise, considering she just agreed to yet another lame attempt at getting her to fall in love with movies.

"Oh and Beca?"

"Mhm?"

Silence. Beca could sense he was hesitating, but she couldn't figure out why.

"I love you."

Her heart stopped. Guilt immediately washed over her as her face scrunched up. She felt like she got punched in the gut, just like the time Amy wrestled her for the last ice cream sandwich in the freezer.

"You too." She winced. She knew it wasn't enough for him, but he let it slide. There was silence for a moment before he ended the call.

She could already tell this was going to be a long night.

* * *

The smell of popcorn overwhelmed all of Beca's senses as she stepped through the front door of the Treblemaker's house. The house seemed silent, which was a nice change of pace from where she resided. She loved the Bellas, but she also loved peace and quiet. She followed the scent up the stairs to Jesse's room, where his door was slightly ajar. She peeked her head through the opening before simultaneously knocking and pushing the door open.

"Hey."

Jesse looked up from his laptop with a smile plastered on his face as he walked over to Beca and threw his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her a few times before setting her back down and kissing her on the cheek.

"What's up, Becs?"

He walked over to his bed and sat down, patting the spot next to him for Beca to follow. She threw her bag on the floor and plopped down next to him, extending her legs and leaning back against his headboard in an attempt to get comfortable. He followed her lead, balancing the laptop on his knees as he tried to find the movie. Beca's eyes wandered around his room, examining all of the items that still weren't packed, when her gaze fell upon a picture of them together on his dresser. It was from freshman year, right after the Bellas won the ICCA's. They were smiling at each other, one of Beca's hands cupping his face. They looked so happy and content, and suddenly the guilty feeling returned. She closed her eyes momentarily, desperately wishing she could open them again and have this all be some dream… but she knows that her problems won't go away so easily.

Jesse nudged her side, breaking her from her thoughts and causing her to open her eyes. He points to the title screen, a goofy smile on his face.

"So?"

 _Perks of Being a Wallflowe_ r appeared on the screen, and Beca rolled her eyes. Jesse tried to get her to watch the movie in the past, but failed horribly as she managed to convince him that _Rocky_ was a better alternative. In reality, the only reason she didn't want to watch it was because she understood Charlie's position a little too well. He stuck to the sidelines; he was an observer. He dealt with depression without anyone outside of his family knowing. He was afraid to go after what he truly wanted, so he kept to himself and let other people decide for him.

Although she's never watched the movie, Beca read the book when she was in high school. It was right after her parents split up, but before she found music that she really became invested in reading. She threw herself into books and focused on characters with a different reality from her own, hoping to feel less alone in the grand scheme of things. She's pretty sure her copy of _Perks of Being a Wallflower_ doesn't have an actual spine anymore because she re-read it so many times.

Not many people knew how big she used to be into reading, not even Jesse. She's pretty sure she's only ever confessed that fun fact about herself to Chloe, which honestly doesn't even surprise her. Chloe knew everything about her… even the details Beca wished she didn't know about herself. She couldn't help it though: opening up to Chloe came so naturally.

Recently, she found herself connecting a lot with the fictional character, especially the part about trying to preserve everyone's happiness. She stayed with Jesse because it was easier than admitting her own feelings for Chloe, plus she couldn't stand to see him be upset over her. She just wanted him to be happy, even if it meant denying herself of the one person who could managed to do that for the last four years.

Jesse threw an arm over Beca and hit play, the screen fading to black as the movie started. Beca's mind wandered to Chloe as she absentmindedly scooped a handful of popcorn, effortlessly throwing it into her mouth. She tried to ignore the overwhelming sense of guilt as she saw Chloe's name, accompanied with a text, pop up on her phone screen.

* * *

"So, what did you think?" Jesse turned expectantly towards Beca, excitement written on his face. His smile was quickly replaced with a frown when he realized Beca was on her phone, texting. It was obvious she was in her own world, considering she didn't look up once the movie ended.

"Becs?"

"Sorry, what?" She looked up from her phone, noticing the laptop screen was black, and she knew she missed the ending of the movie. Considering the endings are 'the best part' (not really), she could feel the look of disappointment on Jesse's face without having to peel her eyes away from her phone.

"How did you like the movie?" His eyes shifted downwards, glancing at the small screen Beca was furiously tapping at. She had a conversation open, but he wasn't able to see who it was with.

"I liked the soundtrack; Sam has good taste in music." Beca shrugged, figuring her response was good enough, considering she had never admitted to liking any of the movies Jesse picked in the past anyways.

Jesse sighed, obviously annoyed with her answer.

"Maybe if you were actually focused…" His voice trailed off as he got up and put his laptop on the dresser, turning back and locking eyes with her.

"I was!" Beca shot back defensively, knowing that that was a complete lie. From the look on Jesse's face, he knew it too.

"No, you weren't, considering you were glued to your phone the entire time. Speaking of, who are you talking to that's more important than spending time with your boyfriend? We only have a few days left, Beca." He shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels while he waited for a response from the brunette.

"Just Chloe, apparently Amy –"

"Jesus Christ, of course," Jesse interrupted her, shaking his head and scoffing.

Beca raised her eyebrow, shooting a 'what-the-fuck' glance towards Jesse.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm just not surprised is all." Jesse shrugged as he began to pace the room, refusing to look back at Beca who was now sitting up on his bed, glaring at him. He knew if he looked up, he would lose his temper again, and he refused to do that with what little time they had left together.

"And by that you mean…"

"Don't make me say it, Beca." He glanced up, meeting Beca's eyes. She noticed they looked cold and emotionless again, just like they had the other day. Her throat became dry and she struggled to swallow the lump that began to form there. She knew he knew (or at least he suspected) how she felt about the redhead now, and she knew she needed to give him the decency of talking to him about it… as adults, not as children. Fighting like this wouldn't solve anything, and she realized that.

"Jesse… please. Can we talk about this?" The desperation in her voice was borderline pathetic, but she didn't care. She refused to lose Jesse, because whether she was in love with him or not, he still helped her through some extremely tough times over the last four years, and she would be forever grateful for that.

His face immediately softened upon hearing her voice, realizing just how upset she had become in the past few minutes. He walked over to his bed, sitting next to Beca but also keeping his distance. It felt weird not having any physical contact with the brunette, and he immediately missed the warmth her skin brought to his.

Beca coughed, awkwardly glancing down at her hands as she twisted her thumb ring.

"So…" Beca started, her voice shaky and unsure.

"So…" Jesse replied back, watching Beca's movements intently.

"The other day… I wasn't completely honest with you. You know, about Chloe and everything." Her voice cracked at the redhead's name, and she winced because _Jesus Christ, that was pitiful._

Jesse didn't respond, but Beca could still feel his eyes on her. She took a deep breath before continuing, trying to ignore the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. The room was eerily quiet, and the tension that was present could have been cut with a knife.

"You know I struggle with admitting my feelings. Hell, you know that better than anyone." She looked up, shooting him a small smile. He placed his hand on her leg, urging her to continue.

"I love you, Jesse. You've helped me through so much in the past, and you've never been judgmental at all. You're always there when I need you, and you manage to be a complete dork while doing so. You're the perfect gentleman, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life, seriously. It's just… you deserve someone who feels the same way about you; you deserve someone who is in love with you. And Jesse, I'm just not _in love_ with you."

Tears started to form in Beca's eyes as she looked back down at her hands. She knew this would be hard, but _fuck_ , she didn't think it would be this hard.

"You're in love with Chloe." The sentence had a certain sting to it as it left Jesse's mouth. He dropped his head, scratching the back of it with this free hand. In retrospect, he should have seen this coming a mile away, especially after the conversation they had the other day. But no, it was more than that. He noticed the looks that the two always shared, even from the beginning; he was just too naïve to think anything of it.

"I'm sorry," Beca squeaked, voice barely audible. She wiped a stray tear from her eye, praying to God Jesse didn't notice. He's only ever seen her cry twice, and one of the times was because she accidentally sat on her headphones and broke them.

"I know." Jesse scooted closer and put his arms around Beca, pulling her in tightly. She fell into his embrace, sobbing quietly. He rubbed her back soothingly as they sat there in silence. Tears began to form in his own eyes, but he choked them back, refusing to show just how broken her previous words actually made him.

It was quiet for a while, the only sound being Beca sniffling occasionally. Eventually, Beca glanced up towards Jesse; she was met with dark brown eyes staring into her navy blue ones. She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she also saw compassion and understanding. Jesse kissed the top of her head, as if reading her mind, and smiled.

"You know I just want the best for you, Becs."

"I know," she hummed in response, closing her eyes.

"So this is it, huh? This is how we go out?" A playful smile spread across Jesse's lips as he wiped the remaining tears from Beca's face.

"It's a shame, really. I was expecting something a little more epic to break us up. You know, like a tornado or something. I save you successfully and in the midst of trying to save our dog Hitchcock, I get swept away into the unknown. I was going to die a hero."

He laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. A small smile formed on Beca's lips because _of course_ Jesse's demise was dramatic and over-the-top.

Jesse gave Beca one last squeeze before letting her go, his heart slowly breaking as he watched the brunette get off of his bed for the last time.

"So this is really it then, huh?" Jesse questioned, sitting with his hands in his lap as he watched Beca kneel down to retrieve her bag that she left by the door earlier. He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice, but Beca noticed.

"I guess so." She stood there awkwardly by the door, playing with the strap of her bag as she looked over the room one more time. Her eyes fell back on the picture from earlier, and her heart ached. All she wanted was for Jesse to be happy, and even though this stung now, she knew it was better for him in the long run. He deserved someone who felt the same way about him, and Beca knew deep down she could never give that to him, no matter how hard she tried.

Beca's gaze fell back on Jesse, who was watching her inspect the room.

"Take care of yourself, Jesse. We'll talk soon, I promise."

Jesse got up and slowly walked over to Beca, giving her one last hug before releasing her and opening his bedroom door. He watched as the brunette turned and began walking down the hallway, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling that took over his body.

"Hey, Becs!" he called after Beca, causing her to stop at the top of the steps. She turned around, a look of curiosity splayed on her face.

"Go get her, tiger." He shot his famous Jesse Swanson grin as he leaned against his doorframe with his arms crossed, sincerity evident in his voice. Beca laughed before shooting him a thumbs up, smiling back.

"I plan on it."

As Beca closed the Treblemakers' front door behind her (and essentially the door on her three year relationship with Jesse), she couldn't help but feel sadness take over her body. She knew this was the right move, but it still didn't stop it from sucking so much.

She unlocked her phone, momentarily distracted by her background: it was a picture taken recently of her and Chloe in Copenhagen, standing under a shared umbrella and smiling wildly at each other. Her heart began beating erratically as she brought up her text conversation with Chloe from earlier, re-reading it quietly and smiling to herself before starting a new conversation with Stacie.

 **Beca (9:32 PM): I need your help**

Beca locked her phone and slid it into her bag before looking up into the night sky. She noticed just how beautiful the stars were tonight, and how much freer she felt knowing that nothing was holding her back anymore from the one person who she cared about the most.

Her mind wandered, thinking about the different constellations before her eyes. _It's crazy how there's still so much left that we don't know._ The unknown scared her, and she pretty much waltzed through life dealing with that exact feeling over and over again. But for once, she actually knew something without having an ounce of doubt in her body.

She knew that she was in love with Chloe Beale, and she was 100% sure of it.

* * *

 **A/N:** Apparently I had some issues when I uploaded this chapter, but I want to thank all of you who brought it to my attention so quickly! I was able to fix it easily (thank god it was just a goof on my end), so I hope you guys enjoyed reading it without all the messed up code.


	5. Home is Where the Heart is

**A/N:** Just wanted to apologize for the long wait for a new chapter! I had zero motivation to write, and I was away for a few days visiting family. Anyways, I know this chapter is a little shorter compared to some others, but it's basically just setting up the next few chapters. Like always, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Beca grabbed the handle of the Bellas' househould, her hand lingering on the metal as she mentally prepared herself for the chaos that was about to swallow her whole. She attempted to somewhat compose herself before turning the knob and slowly opening the door. However, she was only met with deafening silence, not the usual antics of her friends. It momentarily confused her, especially since it was a Monday night and no one had any major plans, but relief soon washed over her body as she stepped through the door and quietly closed it behind her.

She pulled her phone out of her bag, checking to see if Stacie ended up texting back. Surprisingly, she had no new notifications (not even a new Snapchat from Chloe). Sighing, Beca walked up the steps towards her room, eyes focused on her screen.

Not glancing up, she lazily reached for the handle to open her and Amy's door when she suddenly collided with something solid. _What the fu – Oh, shit. Chloe._ Red hair engulfed her view as the brunette was knocked back by the momentum from the collison. As she fell backwards towards her inevitable doom of hitting the hardwood floor beneath her, she felt hands snake around her waist, stopping her fall. Beca realized she didn't actually hit the ground and slowly opened her eyes, only to meet clear blue eyes looking back at her, a small smile playing on their owner's lips.

"Whoa there, clumsy." Chloe laughed, her hands still lingering around Beca's waist.

"I, uhm … Hey," Beca stammered out, staring into the redhead's eyes. Her mind went blank instantly, all thoughts fleeing her mind. Her heart began pounding so heavily, she swore Chloe was able to hear it due to how close their bodies were pressed to one another. Beca's cheeks began to redden, causing her to break eye contact from the older girl.

"Oh, sorry." As if she read the brunette's mind, Chloe let go of Beca's waist, her arms sheepishly returning to her sides. Beca frowned at the immediate loss of warmth from Chloe's touch, but she ignored it as she broke the silence that awkwardly fell between them.

"So, what were you…" She gestured towards her door, furrowing her brow slightly.

"Oh uhm, Amy just asked me to help her pack some of her stuff up… Speaking of, I should go do that. You know, pack my stuff. I'll talk to you later!"

Chloe gave Beca's shoulder a quick squeeze before she raced down the hall towards her room, slamming the door behind her.

Beca stood in the hallway for a second, unable to move her body properly. _What the fuck just happened?_

* * *

"Operation Bhloe is now in full-force!" Amy announced, clapping her hands together excitedly.

Emily winced. "Do we seriously have to call it that? Why not something more like… Operation Aca-Love?"

Amy snorted, causing the younger girl's face to fall immediately as she shifted her gaze to the floor, ignoring the multitude of snickers that surrounded her.

"I'm actually with Legacy on this one," Stacie chimed in. "You know, since the two people involved are girls andall, it only makes sense to have a name that suites them. What about Operation Scissor Sisters?"

Laughs erupted throughout the room as Emily shot Stacie a 'thank you' smile, returning her attention to the large Australian who was now standing on her bed, trying not to lose her balance.

Earlier in the night, Emily received a cryptic text from Benji saying he couldn't hang out due to his main man (presumably Jesse) being down in the dumps. With a little more prying, Emily discovered that Beca and Jesse ended things 'unexpectedly,' and although she couldn't get the major details, she decided to call the rest of the Bellas together in order to discuss the new intel. Although Chloe was initially invited to the get-together so that the others could gauge her reaction to the news, she ended up leaving hastily once talk of Beca being interested in someone else began.

The girls were now sprawled randomly around Amy and Beca's room, excited voices bouncing off the walls as they discussed how they were finally going to get their two co-captains together after a long and arduous four years of longing looks and sexual tension.

"How do we even know that this will work? I mean, that Beca is even interested in Chloe?" Emily glanced around the room, nervous when the chatter died down and all eyes were trained on her.

"Oh trust me, I know."

Stacie was the first to speak up, resulting in a bunch of raised eyebrows and 'what do you mean?' phrases erupting from the group.

"Beca confessed her feelings to me a few days ago. I'm honestly surprised it took her this long, honestly. If I was her, I would've been on Red years ago; that girl is fine." The taller brunette shrugged before turning her attention to inspecting her already-perfect cuticles.

"Hell yeah she is!" Cynthia Rose replied, leaning in for a high-five. Stacie met her hand with a grin before turning their heads to Amy, who was now clearing her throat in an attempt to get the group's attention.

"Alright aca-bitches, we need ideas… and fast. If Red thinks Beca is interested in someone else, it's only a matter of time before she starts down the path to a stage-five breakdown."

"Shouldn't we wait for Beca to come home so we can all talk about this?" Emily questioned, avoiding Fat Amy's eyes due to still feeling humiliated by her slip-up earlier.

"Who knows when she'll be home. Benji said she left their house thirty minutes ago, and I don't think it takes that long to walk twenty feet," CR pointed out. "Plus, if anyone else saw the look of pure devastation on Chloe's face before she left, I'd say we should start brainstorming ASAP."

The girls nodded in agreement as Stacie glanced down at her phone, now aware of the new text she received ten minutes ago.

"Shit you guys, Beca texted me. I must not have felt my phone go off."

Stacie passed her phone around the room so all of the other girls could read the text, worried looks creeping on all of their faces as their minds immediately went to the worst-case scenario.

"Well what are you waiting for? Text her back!" Amy shouted, throwing a pillow at the brunette, knocking her backwards.

"Alright alright, I'm texting her."

Stacie tapped furiously at her screen as she conjured up a message, silently praying that her friend wasn't in any immediate danger.

 **Stacie (9:42 PM): What's up, Mitchell? Where are you? You better not be lying dead in a ditch somewhere**

* * *

Beca's phone buzzed in her bag, interrupting her thoughts and causing her to come back to reality. She realized she was still standing in the same place where Chloe left her, her face still scrunched in confusion. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear it of any and all thoughts Chloe, she reached in her bag and pulled out her phone, seeing Stacie's name flash on her screen.

 **Stacie (9:42 PM): What's up, Mitchell? Where are you? You better not be lying dead in a ditch somewhere**

Beca smiled as she locked her phone and slid it back into her bag as she headed towards Chloe's room, telling herself that talking to the redhead took precedent over ensuring her own safety to one of her best friends. Sure, it was a little selfish, but she didn't need any more distractions when talking to the older girl, seeing as she already had to deal with those baby blue eyes.

She paused in front of the door, inhaling deeply before lightly knocking.

There was no response, but Beca heard the faint sound of music coming from the other side of the door, confirming that the redhead was indeed in there.

Hesitating slightly, Beca finally opened the door, poking her head inside cautiously. Her eyes looked around the room quickly before noticing Chloe sprawled out face-first on her bed, her head buried in her pillow. Vance Joy's "From Afar" was playing quietly, and Beca swore she heard sobbing coming from the body in front of her. Scratch that, Chloe was definitely sobbing.

Without saying a word, Beca dropped her bag and quickly moved towards the bed, positioning herself next to Chloe's side. The redhead felt the bed dip slightly and picked her head up, only to see navy blue eyes staring back at her. Beca immediately noticed the tears and smudged mascara, and a worried expression made its way onto her face. Chloe sat up immediately, quickly wiping her face with her shirt as blush started to creep onto her cheeks.

"Beca, I –"

"Chlo, are you okay?" Beca placed a hand on Chloe's knee, gently rubbing her thumb across the exposed skin. She kept her eyes trained on Chloe, watching her facial expressions intently.

"No yeah I'm fine. Just stressed about moving on—out, moving out." Chloe closed her eyes and sighed. _Nice one, Beale._

Beca smiled slightly before scooting herself up the bed so she was next to the older girl before throwing her arms around her, engulfing her in a tight embrace. Chloe's head fell on Beca's chest as she inhaled the brunette's perfume, getting lost in the scent. Beca rubbed soothing circles on her back as they sat there quietly, the only sounds audible being a couple sniffles and Vance Joy's soothing voice.

"You're staying in Atlanta for that teaching job, right?" Beca questioned, attempting to change the subject since Chloe's sniffles cut back drastically in the past ten minutes.

The redhead picked her head up slightly so she could hold eye contact with the younger girl, her blue eyes still stunning despite the puffiness from crying earlier.

"Yeah, I start in two weeks. I just need to move into my apartment, and luckily it's not far from here so I can help Em out whenever she needs me." Her voice was quiet and nothing like her normal bubbly-self, and Beca's heart sank a little at the hurt prevalent in her voice.

"Did you ever figure out what you were going to do?" Chloe laid her head back on Beca's chest, closing her eyes as she the soothing sound of Beca's heartbeat echoed in her ears. Beca shifted slightly as she tangled her fingers in Chloe's hair and titled her head back, hitting the wall behind her.

"Not yet. Sammy put in a really good word for me at the Residual Heat branch in L.A., but he also offered me a more permanent spot here in Atlanta. He needs to know what I'm doing by Friday, so…" Beca's voice trailed off as she closed her eyes, sighing loudly.

"What do you think you're going to do?"

"I thought I knew, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

The room fell silent as the last song on the playlist ended, causing Chloe to tighten her grip around Beca's waist in an attempt to get closer to her (even though that was physically impossible). Beca smiled as she felt Chloe's arm around her, her heart fluttering in her chest.

"What do you think I should do, Chlo?"

Chloe sighed lightly, hoping Beca didn't hear. She knew what she wanted to say, but she also didn't want to prevent Beca from achieving happiness. She knew L.A. had been the tiny girl's dream since she first started at Barden, and although Chloe couldn't stand to imagine her life without her, she ultimately wanted Beca to chase her dreams.

"I think… you should do what you think will make you happy in the long run."

Beca smirked slightly as she ran her thumb across Chloe's back, feeling the redhead shudder under her touch.

"So you're saying I should follow my heart?"

"Yeah," Chloe hummed in response, her mind quickly growing hazy under Beca's touch.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Chloe questioned, lifting her head to look the brunette in the eyes as she lifted her brow in curiosity.

Beca noticed the confusion written across Chloe's face, but all she could do was smile in return as she got lost in the pools of cerulean staring back at her.

"Okay."

Chloe returned the smile as her brain finally caught up, understanding Beca's cryptic way of saying she'll do what she thinks is best for herself. However, Chloe failed to realize that the brunette's plan was revolved around her.

The moment was quickly ruined by a loud buzzing coming from Beca's bag. The brunette sighed loudly, her aggravation evident. _Who the fuck…_

* * *

Stacie was frantically pacing the room, mumbling inaudibly as the rest of the Bellas watched in concern.

"Why isn't she texting me back? What if something happened? I'm going to text her again."

Stacie quickly unlocked her phone for the umpteenth time, pulling up her conversation with Beca. No new texts. _Fuck._

"It's only been twenty minutes, Stace. Maybe she's out clearing her mind or something," CR offered, getting up from Amy's bed and placing a hand on the taller brunette's shoulder.

"OR MAYBE SHE'S DEAD. EVER THINK ABOUT THAT?" Stacie's voice rose as she shook off CR's grip and continued her pacing across the floor.

"Easy there, legs. If you walk any faster, you're gonna burn a hole through the rug." Amy shot the girl a smug look, only to receive a death glare in response.

"You know, in my country, people would go missing for weeks at a time. Then they would magically appear again and be perfectly okay… Although they lacked any memory of being gone," Flo offered, earning confused looks from all of the girls.

"My parents think I've been dead for three years," Lilly whispered quietly, Emily being the only Bella who heard her. Her eyes widened as she looked around hopefully, wishing someone else heard what she just did.

"That's it, I'm going to text her," Stacie announced, viciously tapping at her phone screen.

 **Stacie (9:57 PM): Beca Mitchell, where the hell are you? I'm sending Lilly to come look for you if you don't respond in five minutes**

Her phone buzzed almost instantly, and Stacie let out a sigh of relief when she saw Beca's name appear on her screen.

 **Beca (9:57 PM): Whoa there, don't sick Lilly on me. Don't worry, I'm safe and sound mom; I'm just in Chloe's room. Do you need something?**

 **Stacie (9:58 PM): I didn't realize you were home. Come to your room when you're done for an emergency meeting. Oh, and don't tell Chloe; this has to deal with her**

 **Beca (9:59 PM): Aye aye, captain. See you soon**

Stacie flopped on the bed next to Amy, letting out another sigh of relief.

"So?" Emily questioned, raising her brow.

"She's safe and talking to Chloe now. I told her to come to her room when she's done, so she should be here soon."

"Excellent," Amy stated as she rubbed her hands together mischievously. "Operation Bhloe can now begin again!"

"Amy, no!" the girls yelled in unison, groaning as the blonde proceeded to flip all of them off in one swift motion.

* * *

Beca sighed as she dropped her phone back onto the floor, throwing one hand over her face.

"I gotta go, Chlo. Apparently the Bellas were freaking out since I wasn't responding to Stacie's texts, so I need to prove to them that I am in-fact alive."

Beca slowly untangled her body from Chloe's, causing a disgruntled groan from the redhead. Beca laughed in response, patting the older girl's back as she hoisted herself off the bed. Chloe sat up, legs crossed and arms behind her to support her, as she watched Beca move around her room.

"I'll talk to you later?" Chloe said hopefully as Beca bent down to grab her bag, her mind wandering as she admired the brunette's backside.

"Definitely. If you're still up, I'll come back and we can listen to some new mixes I made for Residual Heat," Beca replied as she opened the door, looking back and shooting a smile at Chloe. Her stomach filled with butterflies as the redhead returned her smile with a wide grin, causing the older girl's eyes to crinkle at the edges.

As Beca closed the door behind her and tried to compose herself on the short walk from Chloe's room to her own, her mind wandered. _Follow my heart, huh?_

She knew exactly what her heart was telling her, and she knew what her choice was before Chloe even asked her. Sure, Los Angeles was beautiful, but it lacked something important; something that was going to stay in Atlanta. It lacked Chloe Beale.


	6. The Plan

**A/N:** I want to apologize for the huge delay on this chapter; lack of motivation plus visiting friends over the summer contributed to me procrastinating a lot. For some reason I don't think it's well-written, but that may just be because I've been staring at this word document for so long. Anyways, sorry again, but I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

 _Chloe_

Even though Beca just left the redhead's room –like literally just left a few seconds ago- she couldn't stop her mind from wandering back to the older girl. How her dimples would appear ever so slightly when she smirked, how her smile could blind anyone within ten feet, and how her deep blue eyes could paralyze her in the best way possible.

Chloe Beale was always on Beca's mind in one way or another, and she began to realize it now more than ever.

As Beca ascended the steps to the shared room between her and Fat Amy, her thoughts were immediately interrupted as a sea of chaos swallowed her whole, barely allowing her to breathe.

Her senses overloaded as she was enveloped in shrieks and shouts and some sort of bird call that Lilly was doing.

"GUYS!" Beca threw up her arms in surrender, silencing the room as eight pairs of eyes focused on her.

"As you can see," Beca opened her arms, motioning to herself, "I am indeed alive, despite what **some** people may have told you." She shot a pointed glance towards Stacie before walking towards her bed, which was thankfully unoccupied.

"It's not _my_ fault some people send vague texts and then fail to respond," Stacie shot back.

Beca arched her eyebrow in response, a smirk forming on her face.

"Okay pitches, let's get down to business," Fat Amy clapped, re-focusing the attention of everyone in the room on her. "As you see, short stack, we are gathered here tonight to address something that has come to our attention. Something that we all have been waiting for since, well, the first practice of the Bella's—"

"Did you and Jesse break up?"

Emily regretted her decision almost instantly as Beca whipped her head around to focus her gaze on the newest member, confusion in her eyes.

Stacie slapped Emily's arm, shooting her a death glare, before clearing her throat to try and ease some of the tension that fell over the room.

"I… what… how…" Beca's voice trailed off as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair, hating that everyone was suddenly interested in her love life (or lack thereof, now).

"Legacy, once again, you have proven to me that you are indeed the dumbest person I have ever met," Amy chimed in, annoyance evident in her voice.

Emily's eyes fell as she felt a lump begin to form in her throat. Sure, she knew she kind of ruined the whole plan the Bellas came up with earlier –to ease Beca into talking about the breakup- but her eagerness once again got the best of her. And sure, she knew Amy was ultimately joking (or was she, she was never really sure), but it still didn't make her feel any better about her screw-up.

"Beca, I'm so sorry. It's just that I was supposed to hang out with Benji tonight and then he texted me saying he had to reschedule and then my curiosity got the best of me and we began talking and one thing led to another and—"

"Em, it's okay, seriously," Beca reassured. "It was bound to come out at some point, right? I was planning on telling you guys as soon as I got home anyways. I just got… distracted."

Stacie's eyebrows arched, shooting a knowing glance towards Beca. The shorter brunette tried to ignore it, but Stacie started doing suggestive hand movements which were pretty hard to overlook. Beca felt her face getting hot, and before she knew it, her cheeks were a modest shade of red.

"Dude, no!" Beca fired back, but the blush on her face wasn't helping her case at all. "Wait, does Chloe know about the breakup?"

The girls nodded in unison, and the realization suddenly hit Beca. It explained why Chloe was rushing out of her room, why she was acting so strange, why she was crying… wait, why was she crying?

"Do you guys know why Chloe was so upset? She was crying when I went into her room earlier."

"Stage-five breakdown," Amy coughed, earning a questioning look from the shorter girl.

"It may or may not be because she thought you broke up with Jesse because you were interested in someone new," Emily replied, avoiding the burning gaze she was still receiving from Amy across the room.

Beca chewed her lower lip nervously as she scratched the back of her head, thoughts jumbling around in her mind. If only Beca knew this little piece of information before storming into Chloe's room earlier, that whole situation could have gone differently and she could've assured the redhead –cured her of all her doubts and worries and insecurities- that there was no one new in the picture who caused her to end things with Jesse. It wouldn't necessarily have been a lie, seeing as Chloe wasn't considered a new person in Beca Mitchell's life.

"So?" Cynthia Rose questioned, one hand held out as she waited for the smaller DJ's answer.

"So what?"

"So did you break up with Jesse because of someone else?"

"You know, maybe for a vivacious bubbly ginger with an Agularian voice?" Amy added, raising and lowering her eyebrows teasingly.

Beca's breath hitched in her throat, and she swore her face was growing redder by the minute as her mind wandered yet again to Chloe.

"I'm gonna go ahead and take that as a yes," Cynthia Rose chimed in, drawing Beca from her thoughts.

"Well I mean, is it that obvious?" Beca questioned, even though she already knew the answer before the words left her mouth.

"YES," every girl replied in unison (even Lilly managed to higher her voice to beyond a whisper to include her input).

"Okay okay, point made. So what do I do?"

"Well, as we were discussing Operation Bhloe earlier…" Fat Amy trailed off.

Stacie pinched the bridge of her nose as CR let out a groan in frustration.

"Dude, we are NOT using that name," Beca scoffed, plopping down on her bed.

"THANK YOU," Stacie exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she shot a victory glance towards Amy.

"Okay flat butts, ruin all the fun why don't you," the blonde replied, throwing two middle fingers in the air to signal her displeasure with their decision.

"No but seriously Beca, just come clean about your feelings. It's not necessarily a secret to anyone in the house, except maybe to Chloe, and you know we all support you 100%," Cynthia Rose stated, earning approving nods from everyone else in the room.

"I know, it's just… it's been four years, you know? I want it to be special."

"Is Beca Mitchell getting soft on us?" Stacie teased.

"Watch it, Stace…" Beca growled, throwing a pillow at the taller brunette. Stacie dodged the toss with ease, watching as the pillow flew over her head and collided with the wall behind her.

"What if you made her a mashup?" Emily offered, nervously playing with the hem of her shirt as she leaned against Beca's desk.

"I say ix-nay on the mix-ay," Amy chimed in, crossing her two index fingers to form an X.

"I agree with Amy, especially since you sort of did that for Jesse freshman year, **and** you weren't even that into him," Stacie added.

Beca groaned, covering her face with her pillow.

"Ugh, you're right. Why is being romantic so hard?"

"What if you gave her a lap dance? I have a ton of songs that could fit the situation."

"Stace, no. I am not giving her a lap dance," Beca sighed loudly, removing the pillow from her face as she sat up in her bed, crossing her legs.

"You wouldn't have been successful anyways. If you want it done right, you gotta know how to really move _your_ body." Amy patted her stomach as she began to roll her hips, shooting a seductive wink towards Beca.

"I once moved a dead man's body across town in a wheelbarrow," Lilly whispered, eyes widening slightly. Emily shifted uncomfortably next to Stacie, because of course she was the only one who heard this worrisome new fact about the girl.

Suddenly, Beca's eyes widened as she remembered a flyer she saw the other day when she was picking up coffee for Chloe at her favorite coffee shop. It was for an open mic night, and before she knew it, Beca's mind began to flood with ideas on what she could prepare for it. She could write a poem, but how was she supposed to put down all of her thoughts and emotions into words on paper? She was never good with expressing herself unless it involved music in some way. And that's when it hit her.

"I know what I'm going to do."

"Don't keep us waiting all day, loverboy," Amy replied, earning snickers from the group.

"Dude, shut up. Do you want to hear my plan or not?"

Amy zipped her mouth with her index finger thumb and pretended to lock her mouth, throwing the pretend key towards Emily, who flinched slightly because she thought the blonde was actually throwing a real object at her.

Beca got up from her bed and dropped down to the floor on her knees, reaching underneath her bed. She pulled out a small mahogany ukulele, gently blowing off the dust that accumulated on it over the past few months.

She stood back up and strummed the instrument, cringing at the out-of-tune notes that echoed throughout the room.

"I didn't know you played," Stacie commented, raising her eyebrows slightly while Beca quietly tuned the instrument.

"Yeah, it's not something I really want to draw attention to. You know, small instrument, small girl… the jokes would be horrible," Beca stated, finally satisfied with the way the ukulele sounded.

"So that midget guitar is cool and all, but what exactly is your plan?" Amy questioned, earning a death glare from Beca.

"And this is why it stayed a secret." Beca rolled her eyes as she began to strum gently, re-introducing herself with the instrument, attempting to get the placement of her fingers just right. She began to play the beginning chords of the song in her head, and before she knew it, she was humming along gently.

"Wait, I know this song… 'Can't Help Falling in Love,' right?" Stacie asked, her eyes wide with enthusiasm.

Beca nodded as she continued humming along, the other Bellas joining in.

"This. Is. Perfect," Emily gushed, trying her best to hold back a squeal. However, her enthusiasm overpowered her self-control, and before she knew it, she was rushing towards Beca and crushing her in a tight hug.

Beca patted the younger girl's back slowly, laughing quietly.

"Whoa there, Em. Don't crush me now."

"Sorry." Emily's face reddened as she removed her grip and sat down next to the brunette, eyes wide like a newborn puppy.

"I was thinking about surprising Chloe by playing this song at the open mic night at her favorite coffee shop. I saw a flyer for it when I was there on Saturday, and I think it would be the perfect opportunity to show her how I truly feel. We all know how bad I am with words, so I figured I'd let the music do the talking. What do you guys think?"

Beca glanced around the room, hoping her idea didn't come off as lame as it sounded in her head.

"She'll love it, Beca," CR assured her, as Emily shot her a thumbs-up.

"What night is this shindig going down? I need to plan my rendezvouses with Bumper accordingly," Amy inquired, adding in a few hip thrusts to better get her point across. Emily choked on her saliva because even after a year, Fat Amy's bluntness took her by surprise and made her feel like a child all over again.

"Thursday if I read the flyer right. I'm gonna need your guys' help to pull this off."

"What do you need us to do?" Emily asked eagerly as she jumped up and down with excitement, shaking Beca's bed beneath her.

"First of all, I'm gonna need you to stop jumping." She shot a warm smile towards Emily, trying to get her point across that no she's not trying to be a total dick, but the movement is kind of distracting.

Emily stopped moving immediately, straightening her back and closing her mouth, eyes trained on Beca. She resembled a weird combination of a gargoyle and Aubrey's perfect posture, and Beca shuddered at the thought.

"Second of all, I need you guys to distract her this week. I have a lot of stuff at Residual Heat I need to take care of, so I'll be spending a lot of my time there. Don't let her have another stage-five breakdown, okay?" Beca used air quotes around the words, shooting a look towards Amy.

"We got you, Beca," CR commented, shooting a nod of approval in her direction.

"One more thing… You guys need to bring it up to her and convince her to go. I plan on surprising her, which means we have to act like I can't make it in the first place due to my busy schedule or whatever. Promise her Bachelor marathons and Bella bonding time; just do anything to get her to go. Got it?"

All of the girls nodded, grins plastered on their faces.

Beca felt a smile creep onto her face, because finally, for once in her life, she knew she was chasing after what she truly wanted. She turned to Emily, focusing her gaze on her.

"Think you can convince Chloe to come?"

Emily's eyes widened as she quickly blinked, trying to wake her body up in order to respond in a way that didn't embarrass her.

"I, err, uh… why me?"

"Just think of it as part of your initiation or whatever."

Emily nodded, launching herself across the bed at Beca and grabbing her into another hug before letting go quickly, realizing her mistake.

"I won't let you down!"

Beca rolled her eyes teasingly as she looked around the room at the rest of her friends.

In a week, she'll be separated from all of these weirdos; they'll all be doing their own things and chasing their own dreams. Her heart ached a little, because as much as she didn't want to admit it, she grew to love them all. If someone told her four years ago that she would join an a cappella team and actually enjoy it, she would have laughed in their face and told them to fuck off.

But now as she sat on her bed, surrounded by her band of misfits, she never felt more at home. Her eyes started to gloss over slightly as she felt her throat tighten a little.

She refused to cry in front of them; actually made a promise to herself to not get emotional.

Thankfully, she was saved by Emily reaching over for the ukulele that was still sitting in her lap, a look of hope on her face.

"Can I try?"

Beca smiled, handing the instrument over. Normally she wouldn't let anyone touch her music equipment, but then again, these people weren't just some temporary placeholders in her life. She knew the friendships she formed with each and every one of these girls would last, no matter what paths they wandered down.

She knew she would always care for them. All of them. Especially Chloe.

She was the only thing missing from this moment.

* * *

Morning came entirely too quickly in the opinion of Chloe Beale. One minute her and Beca are listening to new mixes she created for Residual Heat and laughing, and the next she's tangled in the limbs of the smaller girl, listening to the sound of breathing as it lulled her to sleep.

As Chloe warily opened her eyes, she noticed the lack of warmth on her body, and remembered that unlike her, Beca actually had a job to get to. Yawning, she checked her phone for the time- 9:30 AM. She smiled at the messily-written note on her bedside table that was situated right next to her phone, instantly recognizing the penmanship.

 _Chlo,_  
I tried really hard to not wake you up this morning as I left, so if you're reading this, then I succeeded. Try to get some real packing done before I get home tonight. Text me when you wake up

Beca  
P.S., you drooled all over my arm last night, so I wiped it on your pillow

Chloe looked down in horror to indeed see a wet mark on the pillow beside her and laughed silently, unlocking her phone and opening her text conversation with Beca.

 **Chlo (9:30 AM): Good morning! Or it was until I rolled over into a puddle of my own saliva. Thanks Becs**

Chloe locked her phone and placed it back on her night stand before sitting up in bed and stretching, anxious to get downstairs to the pot of coffee she smelled brewing the second she woke up.

* * *

Chloe entered the kitchen to be greeted by a bright smile from Emily sitting at the island, a bowl of cereal and a magazine in front of her.

"Morning, Chloe!"

"Hey, Em. Whatcha got there?" The redhead peered over the girl's shoulder, eyes glancing over an article about the newest Bachelor season that would begin airing in a few days.

"Bachelor, huh? You watch that?"

Emily shrugged, taking a sip of her orange juice. Suddenly, her eyes got wide and she remembered her task that Beca gave her the night before. Bachelor, open mic, confession, Chloe. Right.

Chloe grabbed a mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee before taking a seat across from Emily. She hummed as the warm liquid ran down her throat, waking up the rest of her senses that failed to start beforehand.

"Where is everyone else?" Chloe asked, taking another sip of coffee as she checked her phone for any texts from Beca. Nothing.

"Sleeping probably. I don't think anyone went to bed until late; we were all in Beca and Amy's room just talking about old memories. It was really nice, you know." Emily smiled to herself, satisfied that she finally felt accepted –not just tolerated- by the people around her.

Emily noticed Chloe constantly checking her phone, and noticed the redhead's face fall slightly, before becoming aware of her surroundings and plastering another smile in order to cover up the slight frown that began to form.

Emily cleared her throat nervously, causing Chloe to look up from her phone.

"So…" Emily began, hands shaking ever so slightly.

"What's up, Em?"

"I think the girls and I are gonna go to this open mic thing at Landscape Café this Thursday for a last hurrah kind of deal; wanna join?"

"Sounds aca-awesome," Chloe joked, shooting the younger girl a wink.

"Sweet!" Emily fist-pumped in the air, causing Chloe to shoot her a confused glance.

"I just… really love open mic nights. You never know what can happen, you know?"

"Right." Chloe offered a small smile to Emily before taking another sip of coffee, noticing her phone screen light up with a text.

 **Becs (9:42 AM): Sorry Chlo, but all is fair and love and war**

Chloe focused her eyes on her phone, momentarily forgetting that anyone else was around her. She laughed quietly as her heart fluttered at the sight of Beca Mitchell using the word 'love' in a semi-positive way. Oh, how far the shorter girl has come since freshman year.

 **Chlo (9:43 AM): You're the worst. Anyways, Em just told me that the girls are planning on going to Landscape on Thursday for an open mic night- care to be my date?**

 **Becs (9:43 AM): Sorry Chlo, Residual Heat stuff. We still have Friday though, don't worry**

 **Chlo (9:44 AM): No worries, Becs! Friday :)**

Chloe locked her phone and set it down on the table before sighing loudly, cradling her face in her hands. Emily noticed the movement, but decided not to say anything until Chloe actually acknowledged her existence again, because she's pretty sure the redhead forgot that she was in the kitchen of the Bella household.

A few minutes passed and Chloe's face was still in her hands, and Emily was almost positive the older girl fell asleep again at the table.

"Chlo?"

Chloe's head shot up, taken aback slightly by the voice that interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh shoot, sorry Em. Forgot I was in the kitchen."

"Everything okay?"

Chloe forced a smile across her face, because if there's one thing she's become a master at over the last four years, it's pretending something doesn't bother her when it really does.

"Becs said she can't make it Thursday, which kinda stinks but hey, it's still going to be a fun time!"

Emily nodded encouragingly as she looked back down at her magazine, a small smile playing on her face. The last thing she wanted to do was give up the surprise less than twelve hours after figuring out the details.

"Don't worry Chloe, it'll still be fun."


	7. Can't Help Falling in Love

**A/N:** We're nearing the end here folks, and I just wanted to thank you all for the feedback and support! Your kind words give me the motivation to continue to attempt something like this, so thank you again. With that being said, I plan on writing two more chapters to finish the story off. As always, hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Beca's pretty sure the past few days have been simultaneously the shortest and longest days of her life.

Between Chloe attempting to bribe her to ditch work and go to open mic night, constantly practicing "Can't Help Falling in Love" until her fingers felt like they were going to fall off, and (messily) packing her belongings into sketchy brown boxes, she was exhausted.

But finally, Thursday night rolled around, and Beca was now sprawled out on her bed, quietly humming under her breath while her fingers tapped out the rhythm on her knee to the song she's been slaving over for three days straight.

She'd be lying if she said she wasn't completely terrified to perform tonight. Honestly, it'd be a bit of an understatement.

Beca tried to focus her thoughts on how exactly she was going to pull this 'grand romantic gesture' off, considering she just planned on winging it once her and the Bellas had figured out the basic details Monday night.

The girls planned on leaving Barden around 7:45 PM, allowing them to arrive at the café fashionably late (because Stacie insisted they had to make an entrance), meaning Beca would be leaving roughly twenty minutes later.

She contacted Landscape's manager on Tuesday, requesting his help in order to surprise Chloe. He was more than happy to help 'one of his favorite customers fall in love' or something along those lines, and once again, Beca was grateful the older girl had the ability to make every single person adore her.

Beca glanced at her phone, taking note that it was already 7:30 PM.

She sighed, falling back onto her bed and closing her eyes, replaying the last few days in her head. Her mind instantly wandered to the conversation she had with Sammy just a few hours earlier, and her stomach dropped.

 _"So… let me get this straight: you want to stay in Atlanta instead of moving to our **more successful** branch in Los Angeles?" Sammy shot the brunette a confused look, skeptical of Beca's decision. He knew just how dedicated Beca was to make a name for herself in the business, which is why he was surprised to hear she was passing up on the music scene on the west coast in order to stay in Atlanta._

 _"I mean, when you put it like that, it sounds like the wrong thing to do." Beca arched her eyebrow as she watched her boss feverishly tap his pen on his desk, his eyes trained on the piece of plastic in front of him._

 _He looked up suddenly, meeting Beca's gaze._

 _"Why?"_

 _Beca scratched the back of her neck nervously, her heart rate increasing with every passing second._

 _"You want to know why I'm staying?"_

 _Sammy just nodded expectantly, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world._

 _"I just feel like this is where I'm supposed to be, as lame as that sounds." Beca cringed at her wording, because that was definitely one of the cheesiest things that could have come out of her mouth._

 _"You realize there will be far less opportunities out here, right?" Sammy stopped tapping his pen, his tone growing serious as his eyes were still focused on Beca._

 _Beca shifted uncomfortably as she ran one hand through her hair, waiting for her boss to continue._

 _"And I know you're talented –you've proven that to me on multiple occasions- but I don't know if I would be able to offer you everything you're expecting out of this job if you stay here."_

 _Beca swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry._

 _"I know," she managed to croak out, taking note of just how sweaty her palms became in the last sixty seconds. She quickly wiped them on her jeans before continuing._

 _"I realize that, but honestly, my mind is made up at this point. Sure, it may take me a little longer to accomplish what I ultimately want, but Atlanta feels like home now. There are things –people- here that I would miss too much if I left."_

 _Sammy nodded understandingly before clapping his hands together and standing up from his desk chair._

 _"I'll make the call." He outstretched his hand towards Beca's, shaking it firmly. She offered a small smile before turning on her heels to leave the office._

 _"Glad to see you'll be sticking around," he called after her, and she swore it almost sounded like he might actually **approve** of her decision._

 _She turned around and nodded before closing the door behind her. She felt the air rush back to her lungs and inhaled deeply, letting go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding._

Beca's thoughts were interrupted when Fat Amy came rushing into the room, quickly tossing off her shoes and darting into the closet.

Beca checked the time again and realized it was already 7:50, which meant everyone was running late. She laughed quietly to herself, because of course it was Amy's fault.

She heard a loud thud, followed by a string of curses pour out of the open closet door, and her eyes widened.

"Everything okay in there?"

There was a muffled groan before the blonde reappeared, her appearance disheveled but her successful; outfit change evident.

"I may have forgotten what time we were leaving due to being in the presence of the hot piece of man candy that is my boyfriend," she joked as she rushed around the room to find her hair brush.

Beca laughed, wiggling her eyebrows at the blonde as she heard someone calling for Amy at the bottom of the stairs.

"Amy come on, we're going to be late!" A sea of red head appeared seconds later, and Beca's breath hitched.

Chloe was wearing a red flannel that looked **very** similar to the one Beca lost a few weeks ago, along with a pair of jeans and white converse. Her hair was curled and fell gently on her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. Beca could smell her perfume from her bed, and her mind went hazy at the scent of the redhead.

She was brought back into reality when she noticed Chloe looking at her expectantly.

"Hmm?"

"I saaaaid, are you sure you don't want to come?" Chloe's voice was pleading, and she was doing that little pout that always managed to weaken Beca's defenses. The brunette's heart ached at the sight, but she ignored it as she offered the older girl a small smile.

"I wish. I have to leave soon to meet Sammy at the office. Something about late-night recording for a new artist he discovered."

Chloe's smile faltered for a half second before she shot a reassuring grin towards Beca, and although it would go unnoticed by almost everyone else, the younger girl noticed the small change immediately. After all, she was an expert on all things Chloe Beale.

"Text me updates?"

"Totes!" Chloe shot the brunette a wink before turning her attention towards Amy, who was still trying to tame her horrible case of sex hair.

"Amy, you look great. Now let's go, I don't want to miss anything!" The redhead clapped excitedly before waltzing down the stairs, shooting Beca another smile before she disappeared from her view.

"Nervous?" Amy questioned as she sprayed herself with enough perfume to choke Beca. Her eyes met the brunette's, and the blonde found her answer displayed on her face.

"Kind of," Beca answered simply as she shrugged, acting like she wasn't about to put all of her feelings out in the open to not only Chloe and the Bellas, but also to a bunch of random people she's never met.

"Don't be nervous, Red is gonna love it." Amy placed a hand on Beca's shoulder before checking her phone, noticing the time.

"Hate to leave you here, but this pitch has to do some vertical running in order to make it to Landscape on time. See you there!"

Amy took off towards the stairs at a surprisingly fast pace, almost running into Beca's desk in the process.

"You're gonna do great!" she called back to Beca before the front door of the house slammed shut.

Silence fell immediately, and Beca took in a deep breath in appreciation.

For the first time in seventy-two hours, it was quiet. Utterly and completely quiet.

She felt her body relax a little as she took another deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that entered her body a few moments ago.

She felt her phone vibrate as the screen lit up, displaying a text from Stacie.

 **Stacie (7:52 PM): Amy told me you were practically having a meltdown about tonight. Don't worry, Chloe's gonna love it. She doesn't suspect a thing. See you soon!**

Beca rolled her eyes; typical Amy to exaggerate her current emotional state. Sure, she felt like she was going to throw up every few minutes, but for the most part she was keeping it together (physically at least).

Beca sighed again before picking up her ukulele and placing it in its case. Mike, the manager of Landscape, offered her to borrow one of his for the performance, but Beca felt more comfortable with her own. It made Beca feel at ease and calmed her down, and she knew if she played on a new instrument, there was a possibility of her screwing up big time and hypothetically ruining the entire night.

Chloe's perfume still lingered in the room, and Beca's mind was again occupied with the older girl.

She smiled to herself as she looked in the mirror, making sure she still looked presentable after lying in bed for two hours.

She ran one hand through her hair, noticing the small amount of blush that still lingered on her cheeks from her brief conversation with the redhead earlier.

 _Dammit, Chlo._

* * *

The Bellas arrived later than they intended to, causing them to miss the first three acts of the night.

No one seemed to mind besides Chloe, seeing that they were all only there to watch Beca perform and they knew she wouldn't be on for at least another half hour.

"Do you guys want anything to drink?" Chloe offered, hoping to take her mind off of the sadness that suddenly swept over her. She missed Beca, and she desperately wished she was there with her. Of course she understood that work takes precedent over fun, but there were only a few days left until they all moved out, and Chloe would be lying if she said she wasn't feeling super bummed out.

After jotting down all of the drink orders in her phone, she made her way over to the counter to place the order. As she waited, she opened her text conversation with Beca and began typing out a message.

 **Chlo (8:18 PM): We were late and missed a few acts, but everyone is really excited for tonight! Miss you already, wish you were here**

Her heart sank as she sent the text, sadness momentarily taking over her body.

She was drawn out of her thoughts as she heard the current performer singing a rendition of "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift, which caused her unhappiness to momentarily disappear as the familiar tuned echoed throughout the café.

She smiled at the barista as he handed her two styrofoam cup holders with all of the drinks placed neatly in them. She stole another glance at the girl on stage before heading back over to the table her friends had found as soon as they arrived.

She distributed the drinks among the girls before sitting down next to Emily and taking a sip of her tea. She shot the younger girl a grin before focusing her attention back on the singer performing Taylor Swift.

She was determined to enjoy herself tonight and ignore that empty feeling that had made its way back to her stomach.

* * *

Beca arrived at Landscape around 8:30 PM, texting Mike so he could let her in the back door so she could avoid seeing her friends and ruining the surprise.

She convinced Mike earlier in the week to hang a curtain behind the little stage that was stationed in the center of the room, that way she (and other performers) would be allowed to wait behind it before their designated time slots.

Her heart felt like it was going to pound of her chest.

With shaky hands, she strummed her ukulele a few times and adjusted the pegs, making sure it was tuned properly before going on stage, because the last thing she needed was an out-of-tune performance.

Mike walked over to her and let her know that she was on next, giving her a pat on the back and wishing her a good luck before re-entering the crowd.

Beca peeked around the curtain and noticed her friends sitting at a table in the back-right corner. Her eyes found Chloe almost immediately, and she felt her stomach drop.

Her palms began to sweat profusely again, and she cursed herself for allowing the redhead to have such an effect on her; she felt like she was in middle school having her first crush all over again.

Her eyes scanned the rest of the crowd quickly, and after she came to the conclusion that she didn't recognize anyone else there, she let the curtain fall and began to quickly pace back and forth.

She took a deep breath in for four seconds, holding it for seven, before releasing it as she counted to eight. She repeated the technique a few more times until her heart rate steadied, allowing her to breathe more easily.

Applause erupted from the crowd, and Beca closed her eyes for a few moments.

This was it. She was ready.

She waited a few moments after the noise died down before appearing from behind the curtain, her eyes glancing towards the back of the room. She watched Chloe's jaw drop to the floor as those baby blue eyes met hers. She smiled shyly before taking a seat on the bar stool, adjusting the microphone to accommodate her height.

Chloe abruptly turned to Emily, noticing the wide grin spread across her face.

"You knew about this?"

Emily bit her lip, nodding excitedly as she let out a small squeal. "We sort of all did."

She motioned to the rest of the table, where the girls all nodded in agreement.

"We wanted to surprise you," Emily continued, her smile lighting up her whole face.

"I… " For the first time her in her life, Chloe Beale was speechless. She felt her face heat up, and she was sure Beca was able to see her blush from the stage. A cough and the sound of a microphone being tapped a few times drew her attention back to the stage.

Beca cleared her throat and swallowed hard before speaking, praying to god her nerves didn't cause her voice to crack.

"Uhm, hi. My name is Beca, and I'm going to perform 'Can't Help Falling in Love' tonight. Many people know I'm not good at expressing my feelings with words, so I figured this would be a better option." She paused a moment, collecting her thoughts.

"This one's for you, Chlo."

She took a deep breath as she glanced down at her fingers, making sure they were properly placed, before looking back up at her table of friends.

Stacie shot her a grin and gave her a thumbs up, Emily nodded encouragingly, and Amy fist-pumped into the air as CR let out a whistle.

Beca's gaze fell on Chloe, whose mouth was still hanging open. Emily nudged the redhead gently, bringing her back into reality, causing her to close her mouth immediately. A shy smile came over the redhead's face as she tried to ignore the way her heart rate suddenly increased.

Beca kept her eyes focused on Chloe as she began to sing, her voice filling the empty spaces in the room.

 **Wise men say only fools rush in**

 **But I can't help falling in love with you**

Beca felt butterflies in her stomach as she watched a huge grin begin to form on Chloe's face. She felt the corners of her own mouth turning up slightly as she continued to play.

 **Shall I stay**

 **Would it be a sin**

 **If I can't help falling in love with you**

Chloe's mind was racing a mile a minute. She maintained eye contact with Beca as thoughts continuously popped in and out of her head.

Was this really happening? Because she knows she's dreamt of moments like this before, but she would always wake up right before the good part where she actually got the girl (that girl being the one and only Beca Mitchell).

Was Beca saying what Chloe thought she was? Chloe felt her heart beat even harder –if that was physically possible- and she swore she was going to melt into a puddle right there in the corner as she felt the rest of her body heat up.

 **Like a river flows surely to the sea**

 **Darling so it goes**

 **Some things are meant to be**

Beca recognized Chloe's thinking face, and she nodded towards the redhead, as if she read her mind.

She needed Chloe to understand that yes, this was her confessing her feelings for her the only way she really knew how.

She looked briefly down at her ukulele, making sure her fingers were still working properly, before glancing back up at Chloe.

She swears she'll never get used to the way one look can completely shake her entire being, tearing her apart and putting her back together all at once.

 **Take my hand, take my whole life too**

 **For I can't help falling in love with you**

Emily turned to look at Chloe and noticed her eyes become watery, and she placed her hand on the redhead's. She smiled comfortingly, squeezing the older girl's hand, before turning back to the stage.

Chloe watched Beca's fingers move expertly on the ukulele, her breath catching in her throat as her mind wandered to a place that probably wasn't the best for this type of scenario.

She saw a light out of the corner of her eye, and noticed Amy holding her phone up as she swayed her arm back and forth. She laughed quietly to herself as the rest of the Bellas and some audience members joined the blonde, timing their movements with the pace of the song.

Chloe held up her own phone and joined in, her smile so wide and beaming it would blind anyone who looked directly at her.

 **Like a river flows surely to the sea**

 **Darling so it goes**

 **Some things are meant to be**

Beca noticed the sea of phone lights swaying back and forth to her voice, and her heart jumped.

She looked around the room and smiled: all of these people were listening to _her_ confess _her_ feelings for someone they didn't even know. It was magical and amazing, and it sent shivers up Beca's spine.

Her eyes landed back on Chloe as she once again got lost in the pools of cerulean, hoping that the small distraction wouldn't mess up her timing and singing.

It didn't.

Her foot began to tap on the stool as her body swayed back and forth slightly, following the lights that still illuminated the room.

 **Take my hand, take my whole life too**

 **For I can't help falling in love with you**

 **For I can't help falling in love with you**

Beca dragged out the last note, and then the room fell silent.

There was a split second where her eyes met Chloe's, and the world just stopped. It felt as if time was frozen, and they were the only two who existed.

Beca's smile was so wide, she was convinced she wouldn't feel her cheeks for a week after this was all over.

Chloe returned the smile, her eyes lighting up with emotions.

Beca's only seen this look a handful of times: it was the look of love and excitement and hope. She felt the butterflies return to her stomach as her palms began to sweat again.

Chloe didn't even realize she was crying until she felt a tear land on her arm. She quickly wiped at her eyes, thankful she decided to go with waterproof mascara.

Beca made a mental note to remember this exact moment: the way she felt, the way Chloe was looking at her; everything.

She attempted to remember every specific detail, down to the way a few random hairs were splayed across Chloe's face and how her eyes were crinkled from smiling so wide.

Suddenly, she was thrusted back into reality; it was as if someone decided to hit 'play' again.

The once-silent room now erupted with applause and cheering, CR's whistling being heard above the noise. Beca swore she even saw Lilly contributing to the commotion as the girl joined in on the chanting that began.

"BECA BECA BECA BECA"

Every person was on his or her feet, and honestly the response overwhelmed the brunette. It was as if the dam broke loose and all of her emotions hit her at once, flooding her system.

She smiled as she glanced around the crowd, the noise momentarily cancelling out all thoughts she had. It was pure chaos, and it felt like she was almost drowning.

A few flashes went off, temporarily disorientating her. Her eyes scanned the crowd again until they fell back on the familiar baby blues.

In that moment, her entire body relaxed, and Beca released the breath she was holding.

She felt at peace. She felt relaxed. She felt at home.

Without even speaking, Chloe knew just how to calm Beca down.

It was a feeling Beca would never get used to.


	8. Clichés

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay for this chapter! Usually I can write a chapter in one sitting, but this one took me a little more time because I had to decide which moments I wanted to include in this chapter, and which ones were more fitting for the last one. In result, this chapter is a tad longer than some of the others. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

As the applause began to die down and people slowly returned to their seats, Beca muttered a quick 'thank you' into the microphone before making her way off of the stage, a deep blush radiating off her face.

As soon as she reached the corner of the room where all of her friends were seated, she was immediately enveloped into a tight bear hug, her body easily lifted off the ground with seemingly no effort while blonde hair flew into her face, momentarily blinding her.

"Nice job, short stack!" Fat Amy yelled as the blonde continued to hug Beca, muffled groans escaping from the smaller girl's mouth as she attempted to yell for help.

"Alright Amy, chill. There's enough Beca for us to go around," CR joked, patting Amy's shoulder reassuringly. After a loud sigh and a muttered 'kill joy' under her breath, Amy released Beca back onto the ground.

The sudden impact caused the brunette to stumble backwards slightly, flailing her arms in a desperate and not-so-gracious attempt to regain her balance before falling onto the floor.

Once she caught herself and was able to become somewhat-stable again, Beca shot a pointed glance towards Amy before swiftly flipping her off.

Fat Amy returned the motion with two middle fingers and a wink, and the Bellas erupted with laughter at the exchange.

"You were aca-awesome, Beca!" Emily squealed, unable to hide her excitement (yet again). Her smile was so wide, Beca thought the younger girl's face was going to split into two.

Beca nodded approvingly, a small smile beginning to form on her face.

"Thanks Em."

The scent of cologne hit Beca's nostrils hard as she felt an arm tightly grip her shoulder, causing her to flinch. Confused, she glanced up, only to be met with the ecstatic face of Mike beaming down at her.

"You were awesome! Seriously, I had no idea you could sing like that!"

Beca chuckled nervously as her eyes fell to the floor, embarrassment suddenly washing over her body.

Sure, she was used to performing in front of random people and sometimes even being praised for it, but she wasn't used to having an audience for such a personal statement. Singing Beyonce in front of a dozen different countries was fun, but putting all of her feelings out there on display for everyone to notice was a different ballgame entirely.

She wasn't used to people praising her for being vulnerable.

"Thanks, man. You know, for helping and everything. Wouldn't have been able to pull this off without you."

Beca shifted her gaze from the floor to look back at Mike, offering her best awkward smile as she met his eyes.

He squeezed her shoulder lightly before releasing his grip, smiling at the rest of the girls and bidding farewell before moving through the crowd towards the stage.

"Oooh, break me off a piece of **that** ," Stacie teased, eyeing Mike as he started conversing with one of the other musicians.

Beca rolled her eyes as the rest of the Bellas simultaneously let out groans.

She felt eyes burning holes into her skull, and when she shifted her gaze around the room, her eyes were met with deep blue ones staring intently at her.

Chloe smiled shyly as Beca made her way over to her, her own smile playing at her lips. Her cheeks were a subtle shade of pink, and Beca cursed herself for being so easily flustered.

She stood in front of the redhead, their eyes locked on each other. Beca tried to read Chloe's emotions, but her heart was beating too quickly and her thoughts were rattling too loudly in her brain for her to really concentrate.

Instead, she focused on how many different shades of blue actually existed in the older girl's eyes. Although a lighter blue was the dominant color, smaller flecks of dark blue and subtle hints of gray also existed. The combination resulted in the most unique pair of eyes Beca has ever encountered, and they were looking back at her with so much love and adoration, it made her heart stop.

Beca noticed Chloe's mouth move, but she heard nothing come out. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her mind, before choking out a response.

"What?"

Chloe giggled lightly and took Beca's hand in her own, gently stroking the brunette's knuckles with her thumb.

"I said, hey there."

"Oh. Hi."

Beca shuffled her feet awkwardly as she ran her free hand messily through her hair, the redness of her cheeks darkening with each passing second that Chloe looked at her.

"You were awesome, Becs."

"Thanks, Chlo."

There was a beat of silence, and Beca breathed in the calmness that was Chloe Beale. Every fiber of her being relaxed as she felt the redhead's thumb continue to stroke over her hand, playing with her fingers absentmindedly.

"I was surprised, you know."

"Really?" Beca's voice cracked at the question, and she closed her eyes quickly in embarrassment.

"Totes. I'm surprised Em and the rest of the Bellas were able to keep it from me." Chloe giggled again, her eyes flicking between Beca's eyes and lips. "And you know what else?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I think it was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me."

Beca slowly opened her eyes and was immediately blinded by the grin Chloe was sporting on her face. The redhead's cheeks were a similar shade of red, and her eyes glistened in the dim lighting from the café.

Chloe cupped Beca's cheek with her free hand, her thumb tracing random patterns on the brunette's skin.

Beca felt her entire body heat up at the touch, her skin on fire in the wake of Chloe's trace.

"Are you two loveturds ready to go home?" Amy asked, motioning to Beca and Chloe.

"Amy! They were having a moment!" Stacie scolded, slapping the blonde on her arm.

"Well how am I supposed to know? They do this kind of thing all the time!" Amy retorted, rubbing the spot on her bicep that was slapped a few moments earlier.

Beca let out a sigh, her shoulders dropping as Chloe released her grip from Beca's hand, giving one last squeeze before returning her hands to her side.

"Yeah, let's go."

Chloe grabbed Beca's hand, intertwining their fingers, before turning her attention to the rest of their friends.

CR nodded and began to lead the girls to the entrance, stopping in front of the door suddenly as she glanced outside the glass window. The abrupt halt triggered a chain reaction, causing the rest of the girls to bump into each other, eliciting a chorus of unpleasant remarks to ring out.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Beca breathed, irritation evident in her voice.

"Oh **HELL** no. It's raining like cats and dogs out there!" CR motioned to the droplets splashing down on the sidewalk before turning to the rest of the group.

"I actually prefer dingoes and crocodiles," Amy commented, offering a light shrug.

"Come on guys, are we going to let a little rain ruin our night? It's just water!" Chloe exclaimed, shooting a side glance towards Beca, a smirk prevalent on her face.

Beca sighed and threw her head back, knowing very well that she was about to agree to walk fifteen minutes in the pouring rain with no umbrella just because Chloe said so.

"Let's do it!" Emily clapped, racing towards the front and pushing the door open, shrieking as soon as the rain hit her skin.

The rest of the Bellas followed reluctantly, pairing up into twos in an attempt to preserve what little warmth they could on the arduous walk back to campus.

The rain hit Beca's skin and she let out a little yelp, taken back by how cold the water actually felt on her, despite the fact that she was sweating bullets a few minutes earlier.

Chloe laughed lightly as she squeezed Beca's hand in assurance before looking behind them to make sure they were the last two out of the café and that they didn't leave anyone behind, **especially** Lilly.

As Chloe watched Emily frolic in the rain, jumping into any puddle she could find, Beca tugged on the redhead's hand, causing her to stop.

"Wait."

Chloe turned towards Beca, eyes wide with suspense.

"What's up, Becs?"

Silently, Beca reached up and placed her hand on Chloe's face, rubbing her thumb over the redhead's bottom lip, before leaning in and closing the distance between them.

Chloe's breath hitched in her throat as she felt soft lips press against hers, the sudden motion throwing her off completely. It felt like her brain shut down, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't turn it back on.

A few moments passed, and Beca began to panic, noticing that Chloe wasn't kissing her back as enthusiastically as she hoped. Actually, it felt like Chloe wasn't kissing her back at all.

Beca pulled away nervously, opening her eyes slowly as a worried look began to form on her face. Her brow furrowed slightly at the sight of Chloe's eyes still closed, and that panicked feeling in her chest worsened when she realized Chloe wasn't moving.

"Chlo?"

Chloe's eyes opened suddenly, a confused expression plastered on her face. She looked around quickly before her eyes fell onto the brunette standing in front her, taking note of the worried look on the younger girl's face.

"Was that… not okay or something?" Beca asked, swallowing the lump in throat that she didn't notice had formed.

Chloe's eyes widened.

"What? No no no, it was perfect; you're perfect."

Beca scratched the back of her neck, eyes flitting back and forth as they examined the redhead's facial features.

"You know you're kind of supposed to kiss back, right?"

Chloe's mouth fell open in disbelief as she felt her entire body heat up. An uneasy feeling began to nestle its way into her stomach, making her feel like she was about to throw up.

"Oh my god." Chloe threw a hand over her mouth, inhaling a deep breath. "I'm so sorry. It's just that you caught me off-guard and I still can't believe this night even happened and you're here and I'm here and-"

Her rambling was cut off by the soft press of lips against her own once again. However, this time, she swore she wasn't going to let her nerves take over her body and render it useless.

She sighed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Beca's neck, as she felt a raindrop hit the tip of her nose. She laughed against Beca's lips, opening her eyes, only to be met with navy blue ones staring back at her.

"You're kind of a dork," Chloe whispered, resting her forehead against Beca's.

"Shut up, Beale."

"By the way, kissing in the rain? A total movie cliché. Are you sure you're still Beca Mitchell?"

Beca rolled her eyes, turning her head to focus on the group of friends in front of them. There was a sizable difference between the two parties now, and Beca knew Stacie would have a fit if she thought the brunette got lost again.

Beca kissed Chloe's forehead lightly before breaking their embrace, grabbing Chloe's hand and intertwining their fingers together before turning and walking back towards Barden.

"Come on, let's go catch up with our band of misfits."

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, the Bellas finally arrived back at Barden. Once they reached their house, there was a mad dash for the front door as all of the girls fumbled for their keys.

Chloe and Beca brought up the tail end of the group, goofy smiles on their faces as they watched their friends attempt to all fit into the doorframe at the same time, anxious to get out of the rain.

Once everybody was safely inside, everyone scattered to their separate rooms in order to quickly dry off and change into warmer clothes.

Chloe led Beca through the doorway, the brunette kicking the front door closed with the heel of her foot, before following the redhead's lead up the steps towards the older girl's room.

As soon as the two entered Chloe's room, Beca plopped down on the bed, exhausted. A few groans left her mouth as she closed her eyes and threw an arm over her face.

"Beca, you're soaked."

The brunette shifted her arm up and shot Chloe a wink, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ugh, not like that you perv," Chloe scoffed, throwing a towel, a dry pair of sweatpants, and an oversized t-shirt at Beca. "Change your clothes; I'm not sleeping on wet sheets tonight."

"Yes ma'am," Beca replied, saluting mockingly.

Chloe rolled her eyes and shook her head, placing her hands on her hips. "You're so weird."

* * *

Once they both got changed –which, admittedly, took longer than expected due to playful smacks of a towel every now and then and a few stolen kisses- the two collapsed back onto Chloe's bed, the redhead immediately snuggling into Beca's side. Beca hummed in approval, shifting her body so her arm draped over Chloe's shoulder as she traced patterns on exposed skin with the pad of her thumb.

Chloe's eyes closed slowly as she listened to Beca's steady heartbeat, the quiet thuds echoing in her ears.

"So like… you were totally surprised tonight, right?" Beca broke the comfortable silence, holding her breath as she waited for a response. Sure, Chloe did say how shocked she was and how unexpected the performance had been earlier in the night, but deep down in the pit of her stomach, Beca still felt a twinge of uncertainty.

"100% surprised. Why?"

Beca breathed out a sigh of relief as she felt Chloe's grip around her waist tighten. She ran her free hand through the redhead's hair, gently weaving individual strands in between her fingers as she tried to put clear thoughts together in her brain.

"I was just worried."

Chloe shifted her head upwards, opening her eyes in order to hold Beca's gaze. She was met with navy blue eyes looking back at her, vulnerability dancing around in the smaller girl's irises.

Chloe furrowed her brow slightly. "About?"

Beca shrugged slightly, inhaling deeply as she held Chloe's gaze.

"I just wanted it to be perfect, you know?"

Chloe nodded slowly, her already-prevalent smile growing a little wider on her face, crinkling the corners of her eyes.

"It was."

Beca returned the smile as the uncertainty in her stomach disappeared instantly, sending a shockwave of relief throughout the rest of her body.

Silence fell over the room again as Chloe laid her head back on Beca's chest, a sigh escaping from her mouth as the realization hit her: they only have two days left together. Two more days, and Beca will be on the next plane to Los Angeles, and Chloe will be stuck in Atlanta without the smaller girl.

She didn't even realize she was crying until she looked down at Beca's shirt –well, **her** shirt, technically- and saw a small puddle begin to form in one of the creases. She sniffled quietly, hoping the brunette wouldn't notice, but the hand in her hair stilled immediately, and she knew Beca heard.

"Chlo? What's wrong?"

Chloe dug her head further into Beca's chest, hoping somehow she could hide herself in the fabric of the t-shirt and avoid this conversation she knew would happen eventually; the conversation she knew was inevitable as soon as she saw Beca step foot onto the stage at Landscape a few hours earlier.

"I just wish it could stay like this, you know? I wish it could stay this perfect." Chloe responded shakily, her voice cracking at the last word. She sniffled again, bringing one hand up to wipe away tears that were now falling off her face at an alarmingly fast rate.

"Hey hey hey, come here." Beca tightened her hold on the redhead as she rested her chin on the top of Chloe's head, kissing it gently. She was never good with comforting people -especially a crying Chloe Beale- but she had many opportunities over the past four years to perfect her strategy. She discovered early on that she was never able to calm the older girl down with her words (which, honestly, shouldn't have been a huge shock, considering Beca was terrible with words). She figured out, instead, that physical contact worked best, which is why she usually found herself cradling Chloe in her arms until the odd hours of the morning on a random week day as she patiently waited for the sniffling to subside to ensure her best friend was okay.

As Chloe shifted in Beca's arms and a silence fell between them, Beca's mind began to race. She planned on telling Chloe that she was staying in Atlanta as soon as she informed Sammy of her decision earlier that day, but she never found a fitting time. Now, as she watched Chloe unravel in her arms, she couldn't help but feel guilty; like she was the one who caused this breakdown in the first place.

"Chlo, Chlo. Look at me." Beca placed her hands on Chloe's cheeks, causing the older girl to sit up so she was eye-level with the brunette. Beca offered a small smile as she wiped away the stray tears on Chloe's cheeks with her thumbs, her eyes darting frantically around the redhead's face.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Chloe's eyes widened as her jaw fell slightly open. Her brow furrowed as she felt her body heat up. She sniffled again, raising one hand to her nose to consciously wipe it, before croaking out a reply.

"What?"

"I'm staying here. In Atlanta. With you."

"But what about LA? What about your dreams?" Chloe questioned as she attempted to ignore her heart that now felt like it was beating out of her chest.

Beca swallowed hard, her throat suddenly becoming dry. "Remember what you told me earlier this week? About following my heart?"

Chloe nodded, her eyes trained on Beca.

"Well… I am. I know it's like, a total cliché thing to say and all, but like…" Beca trailed off, removing one of her hands from Chloe's face to messily run it through her hair. She sighed and looked down at her lap, taking one of Chloe's hands into her own, before returning her gaze to the redhead's face. "I don't want to accomplish anything if you're not by my side."

Chloe swore her heart stopped beating for a second as she watched the words leave Beca's mouth. She blinked a few times, making sure that she wasn't imagining any of this in her head, before leaning forward slowly and pressing her lips against Beca's.

Whatever thoughts were floating around in Beca's mind were suddenly forgotten when she felt soft lips on her own. She kissed back slowly, smiling against the contact. She felt Chloe pull back, and hummed disapprovingly.

"So does this mean I'm your _girlfriend_ now?" Chloe teased, shooting a wink towards Beca.

"Mmm, I don't know. You're not really my type, Beale."

Chloe gasped, mouth dropping open, as she playfully hit Beca on the shoulder. "Shut up! Take that back!"

Beca smirked. "Make me."

Before Beca could register what was going on, Chloe's hands were on her sides, tickling her mercilessly. A loud screech erupted from the brunette's mouth as she tried to grab Chloe's hands to try and stop her, but ended up failing miserably.

"Take. It. Back!" Chloe yelled, straddling Beca as she continued to wiggle her fingers across the younger girl's body, discovering new areas that pushed the brunette to the verge of tears over and over again.

"Okay okay okay, I take it back," Beca breathed out, relieved when Chloe ceased her attack.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Beca's forehead before removing herself off top of her. "Thank you."

Chloe rolled over and landed on her back, inhaling deeply as she tried to catch her breath. One hand fell back on Beca's thigh, tracing random shapes as Beca shuddered under the touch.

"Whatever," Beca grumbled, pushing Chloe's hand away as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You love me," Chloe retorted, flipping over on her side so she was facing a now-pouting Beca.

Beca scoffed. "Prove it."

"Is that a challenge?" Chloe's eyebrows darted up, a smirk forming on her face as she shot Beca a knowing glance. She watched Beca's face redden as the brunette swallowed hard, turning her head slightly to look at Chloe.

"Maybe."

And that was all Chloe needed to hear.

* * *

Sun peeked through the window as a buzzing sound echoed through the almost-empty room, causing Beca to groan.

She opened her eyes slowly, noticing her body felt somewhat heavier. She glanced down and noticed Chloe curled up into her side, her head resting on Beca's chest. Beca watched silently for a few moments as the redhead's body rose and fell in time with Beca's breathing. A small smile was on Chloe's face, and Beca couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked.

She heard the buzzing again, and looked over to the nightstand to find the culprit. She reached over, trying not to disturb Chloe in the process, before snatching her phone and unlocking it.

Ignoring the time, she opened her messages and noticed two texts waiting in her inbox.

 **Sammy (7:32 AM): Figured you could use an early weekend. No need to come in today, we'll start discussing your more permanent position on Monday**

Beca sighed in relief, because the last possible thing she wanted to do right now was head into work after the night she just had. She smiled to herself as she put down her phone momentarily, stealing another glance at Chloe, before picking up her phone again and opening the other text.

 **Jesse (10:29 AM): Becaw! The Trebles are hosting an end-of-the-year bash tonight, and I figured you and the Bellas would wanna come for old time's sake. Party starts at 9, hope you can make it; I'd like to see you before I leave**

She hadn't talked to Jesse ever since they decided to end things earlier that week, and honestly, she kind of missed him. Not in the romantic sense or anything like that, but he played such a huge part in her life at Barden, it was only natural for her to feel a sudden loss.

After re-reading the text a few times, Beca decided she was glad he chose to invite her and the Bellas to the party tonight, especially since she did want to see him before he flew to New York.

After spending a few moments to think of a response, Beca tapped quickly away at her screen, constructing the message.

 **Beca (10:32 AM): Sounds awesome, we'll be there! I'll see you tonight**

After hitting send, Beca finally noticed the time. It was way past ten, and she realized Chloe was still sleeping soundly on her stomach.

The only times the redhead wouldn't get up at an obnoxious hour in the morning were when she drank the night before or when her and Beca fell asleep together, and Beca loved these times -when they would wake up tangled in the sheets, limbs lazily draped over each other- the most.

Chloe still had a small smile on her face, but a few strands of hair gently fell over her features, framing her face perfectly. Beca brought up the camera on her phone and snapped a quick picture, making sure her sound was turned off.

She smiled as she inspected the result, content with the photo in her hand.

She sent a quick group text to all of the Bellas informing them about the party tonight before locking her phone and sliding it back on the nightstand. One arm fell back onto Chloe's shoulder as Beca's fingers gently danced across the redhead's skin.

Beca's eyes wandered around Chloe's room, noticing that almost all of her belongings were packed away in brown boxes that took up vacancy in the far corner. The only things that weren't packed were a few random articles of clothing, a lamp, and a picture frame. It was precariously perched on top of two boxes that were stacked, and Beca recognized the photo immediately.

It was a photo taken after their first ICCA win during her freshman year, where Chloe's arm is slung around Beca's waist and Beca has one fist held up in the air while her other arm is thrown around Chloe's shoulders. They're both smiling wildly at each other, and Beca laughs a little to herself, because even back then –even in that photo- it was obvious that something more was going on between the two; she was just too stubborn to realize it.

She returns her gaze back to Chloe and feels her heart rate accelerate rapidly. If she was being completely honest with herself, she would love to wake up to this sight every morning.

Beca slowly leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Chloe's forehead, careful not to wake her up.

Beca continued to draw random shapes on Chloe's shoulder as she glanced out the window and began to picture her future. Her future with _Chloe_. She was terrified –she always had been when it came to the unknown- but she knew she would be okay as long as Chloe stuck by her side. Ultimately, she knew Chloe would never just leave her, and god, that realization alone made Beca feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

And then, as she returned her gaze back to Chloe nestled into her side, she knew that she was.


	9. Ready?

**A/N:** I stayed up all night writing this. Enjoy

* * *

"I can feel you staring at me, you creep," Chloe teased, opening one eye to steal a glance at Beca. The younger girl blushed a little, caught off-guard by the sudden accusation.

"Shut up." A smirk formed on Beca's lips as Chloe began tracing patterns on the exposed skin of Beca's stomach.

"You love me," Chloe shot back, hand stilling for a moment as she felt Beca's muscles tense under her. After a few seconds had passed, Beca relaxed again, sighing deeply.

"I know. You're lucky you're cute, Beale."

Beca poked Chloe's side, eliciting a shriek from the redhead.

The two fell silent, Chloe still trailing her fingers over Beca's abdomen while Beca's fingers grazed across Chloe's arm. Their breathing evened out and became in-sync, and Chloe contently sighed.

"So… Becs."

"Hmm?"

"You're staying in Atlanta, right?" Chloe questioned, her tone suddenly growing serious. Beca glanced down at her stomach and was met with baby blue eyes staring back at her hopefully. She smiled before leaning down and placing a kiss on the older girl's forehead.

"Yes, Chlo- we've been over this," Beca responded, gently squeezing Chloe's arm in reassurance. The redhead hummed with approval.

"Do you have a place to live yet?"

The question was genuine and appropriate, and Beca realized that she was so caught up in her grand scheme to win Chloe over, she totally forgot about apartment hunting. Deep down, she kind of hoped an offer would just fall into her lap so she wouldn't have to worry about all of the minor details, but unfortunately she wasn't that lucky. A deeper part of her was still scared to grow up and become an actual adult who would have to pay real bills with real money and deal with real neighbors who could cause real problems. It was all just too _real_ for her, and part of her wished to stay that young adult in college with zero responsibilities.

Beca sighed, throwing her head back on the pillow, nearly missing the headboard behind her.

"Shit."

Chloe giggled, knowing full-well how one-tracked Beca's mind could get.

"What, too busy trying to win over the girl?" Chloe squeezed Beca's side teasingly, causing the brunette to yelp.

"Something like that, yeah," Beca replied with a grin, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

Chloe hummed as thoughts ricocheted around in her head. Beca gave her a quizzical look, taking note of the thoughtful look splayed on her face.

"Why?" Beca questioned, her curiosity finally getting the best of her.

"Well, I was thinking…"

"Oh great," Beca teased, earning another playful jab at her side from the redhead. "Okay okay, you were thinking, and?"

"You could live with me," Chloe concluded, nodding her head slightly to confirm her decision.

"What?" Beca's brow furrowed as she felt her body heat up. "You're serious?"

Chloe only nodded, shifting her head to the side so she could capture Beca's gaze. "Why not? We've practically been living together for the past three years anyways."

Beca scoffed. "Yeah, but that was with other _people_ , Chlo, not just the two of us. We've never shared a room or anything."

"We wouldn't have to; it's a two bedroom apartment," Chloe shot back, raising her eyebrows in a way to say _check, Mitchell._

Beca felt her throat getting dry as she attempted to swallow, barely being able to get saliva past the lump that was forming. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on slowing down her breathing, seeing as her heart was practically pounding out of her chest.

"I don't know…"

"C'mon Becs, pleeeease?" And that was when Beca knew she was a goner. She didn't even have to look at the redhead to know the puppy-dog eyes and accompanying pout were in full-force; she could just _feel_ it –feel her resolve slowly slipping away with each passing second- and she knew she would probably regret this later down the road, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

Beca opened one eye and glanced down to confirm her suspicions, and she couldn't help the smile form on her face as she was met with a Chloe Beale looking up at her, eyes pleading and hopeful.

Beca sighed. "Ugh, fine."

"Really? Eeeeeeeeee!" Chloe squealed, maneuvering her body so she could envelop Beca into a full-body hug. The result ended up being Chloe messily lying on top of the brunette while she gasped for air, pleading that Chloe 'get off her immediately before she crushed a lung.'

Chloe laughed, placing a kiss on Beca's cheek, before rolling off the bed and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

It was quiet for a moment before laughter erupted from Chloe's mouth, and Beca couldn't help but join in, because no matter how much Beca tried to deny it, Chloe's laugh was contagious.

"Dude, are you okay?"

Chloe just nodded, shooting her award-winning smile and throwing a thumbs-up towards Beca, before pushing herself up and retrieving her phone from the night stand. She plopped back down on the bed, throwing the front of her body across Beca's lower half, receiving a groan from the now-uncomfortable brunette. She noticed the message Beca sent in the group text, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Party at the Trebles' house tonight?" She tried to hide the hurt in her voice as her mind automatically assumed the worst –that Beca was talking to Jesse behind her back, that she was being too clingy and Beca was regretting her decision, that she somehow already screwed up this relationship- but she wasn't very successful if Beca's worried look had anything to say about it.

"Yeah, Jesse texted me this morning and invited all of us for some 'end of the year bash' or something. I figured we all wanted to go and end our college careers with a bang." Beca shrugged, noticing the slight falter in Chloe's smile. "But like, I don't know, I thought it was random considering I haven't talked to him since we… you know."

Chloe released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. She felt silly for feeling jealous over the fact that Jesse and Beca could have been talking; Beca wasn't her property or anything… just her girlfriend. And she felt guilty for even feeling slightly threatened, considering Beca dumped Jesse for her in the first place.

Her face softened as she looked at Beca, taking in just how beautiful she looked with the sun hitting her eyes at that exact moment, paired with her weirdly-attractive bed head and makeup-less features. She smiled, but it wasn't one of her normal smiles. It was the smile that shouted 'I feel so lucky in this moment to be in love with someone as amazing as you.' Beca picked up on the sudden change in attitude, but decided it was better if she just let it slide for now.

"Sounds aca-awesome! I can't wait!" Chloe replied, still caught up in the beauty that was Beca Mitchell. Her mouth was now slightly hanging open, and she had this glint in her eye that Beca hadn't seen before.

After a few moments of intense eye contact, Beca's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"You're just so beautiful," Chloe responded easily, as if it was no big deal. And it wasn't to her. She's always told Beca how beautiful she thought she was, but it was the sincerity and genuine happiness laced in her voice this time that made Beca's heartrate increase once again.

Normally Beca would reply with a sarcastic or snarky comment, generally along the lines of how weird Chloe was acting, but she thought better of it now. She simply just smiled and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Chloe's lips, lingering for a few seconds, before returning her head back to her pillow.

"I know you are."

And if Beca was somehow able to capture Chloe's face in that exact moment, she would've.

* * *

Music was blasting and glasses were clinking as all of the Bellas congregated in the kitchen, preparing for their last hurrah. Amy was in charge of pre-game drinks –a group consensus- because if this was going to be their last party, they were going to go out with a bang.

As Amy passed around cups of various liquors and chasers to anyone who was daring enough to take a sip, Chloe was at the island pouring shots into the customized shot glasses she got each member for Christmas. Each one had their initials written on them, along with the Bellas' logo, and even though Beca thought in the beginning that they were one of the tackiest things she's ever seen, she's never been happier to have them at her disposal right now.

"Alright ladies!" Chloe clapped, receiving the attention of everyone in the room. "For most of us, tonight is our official last night of living in this house. I'm going to miss all of you dearly," she grabbed Beca's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, "but in the famous words of Flo, let's live for tonight! I poured us all shots, so if you would please…" Her voice trailed off as she motioned to the ten shot glasses in front of her, each filled to the brim with vodka.

Each girl grabbed their designated shot glass that corresponded with their name, and on Chloe's go-ahead, they all downed them with ease. Beca hissed as the vodka traveled down her throat, burning slightly. Chloe shot her signature drunk-smirk her way, and Beca could already tell this night was going to be a mess.

After a few more shots and mixed-drink concoctions, Amy shouted last call and forced everyone to migrate over to the Trebles' house. Beca chugged the rest of her drink, cursing Amy for making it so strong, before glancing around the rest of the kitchen. Only she and Chloe remained in the house, and a sudden sadness swept over her.

"I'm gonna miss these nerds," Beca stated, more to herself than to anyone else, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair.

Chloe came up behind her, wrapping her hands around her waist as she placed a kiss on Beca's cheek. She nuzzled her face into the crook of the brunette's neck, the touch of her hot breath setting Beca's skin on fire.

"Me too."

Beca turned her head to glance at Chloe, shooting her a goofy smile, before grabbing her hand and intertwining their fingers together. "C'mon, we don't want to miss anything."

Chloe nodded in response, placing a quick kiss on Beca's lips, before she was pulled through the back door and towards the already-hectic house by her more-than-eager girlfriend. Girlfriend. She would never get tired of that word, she swore.

* * *

The Bellas were only at the party for a total of thirty minutes, and already half of them were significantly drunker than they were beforehand (Beca and Chloe included).

To her surprise, Beca wasn't immediately welcomed by Jesse and Benji –otherwise known as the welcome wagon- but wasn't that concerned about it, considering it was a little awkward to be at a party her ex-boyfriend was hosting anyways.

She and Chloe were now seated side-by-side on a random lawn chair on the patio, intently watching Stacie play strip-limbo with a bunch of underclassmen the two didn't recognize, while they casually chatted back and forth. Beca's arm was slung lazily around Chloe's waist, and Chloe's hand held a tight grip on Beca's upper thigh. The two were laughing at the look of astonishment on one of the kid's faces when Stacie took her shirt off, when they were interrupted by a clearing of a throat behind them. Confused, they both turned around to find Jesse standing there, one hand gripped on the chair for balance.

"Hey guys!" he greeted cheerily, shooting a smile to them both. "Enjoying the party?" He stumbled a little over his own feet as he released his grip from the chair in front of him, searching for another chair to sit in. A bit of his alcohol spilled out of his cup, splashing on top of Beca's head. Beca sighed loudly, irritation evident on her face. Chloe squeezed her thigh gently, shooting a smile towards Beca that seemed to calm her down within seconds.

Jesse returned to them with a pretty beat-up chair, positioning it next to Beca.

No one spoke for a moment, tension thick in the air.

Chloe broke the silence, standing up from her spot next to Beca and motioning to the bar. "I'm gonna go grab another drink. Want anything, Becs?"

Beca only nodded, shooting a thank-you smile towards Chloe, before watching the redhead fight her way through the crowd of people on the dance floor.

"So Becaw, what's going on?" Jesse questioned as he took another sip of his drink, shooting a knowing glance towards the brunette.

"Oh you know, same old," Beca replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Jesse nodded. "Right right, of course. How are things with Chloe?" Beca could tell by the look in his eyes that he was genuinely curious, and after everything she put him through, she thought she could at least be honest with him.

"They're great, actually." Beca shot a smile towards Jesse, and while she didn't want to rub her relationship in his face, she did want to keep him up-to-date with her life; they promised each other they would try to be friends, and she honestly wanted to try. "Uhhh yeah, I sang to her at an open mic night and confessed my feelings, and here we are."

Jesse nodded again, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's great, Bec. Are you happy?"

Beca froze for a moment, because yeah that question was random and caught her off-guard, but honestly she should have expected it coming from Jesse, what with him being super caring and whatnot.

"Yeah Jess, I am."

"That's awesome to hear. Otherwise I would have to kick some serious butt, you know." He nudged her shoulder playfully, and Beca laughed a little.

A comfortable silence fell over the two while they observed everyone around them. Chloe was still trying to get drinks from the bar and Stacie was still playing limbo, Emily and Benji were in a corner talking, and the rest of the Bellas were scattered around the dance floor enjoying each other's company.

Jesse took another sip from his cup, sighing in pleasure, before breaking the silence. "So did you figure out what you're doing after leaving?"

"Yeah, I'm staying in Atlanta at Residual Heat. They offered me a more permanent position, and I couldn't pass it up." Beca paused, contemplating if she should tell Jesse that she was also staying because of Chloe. He always encouraged her to do what was best for her and her career, and she knew he probably wouldn't approve of her decision, but she concluded he deserved to know. "Plus Chloe is staying here for her teaching job, so it all kind of worked out."

Jesse hummed, turning to look at Beca. Dark brown eyes met stormy blue, and for a moment it felt like they were back at the ICCA's their freshmen year, right after the Bellas won. It felt so familiar and safe, and Beca missed this feeling of Jesse being genuinely happy for her. She missed him and his goofy jokes. She just missed him being so present in her life. Not in a romantic way, but just in a friendship way. She not only lost her boyfriend that night, but she also lost one of her best friends. It hurt, but she knew it had to happen, if not for her benefit, then most definitely for his.

His voice suddenly brought her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"I'm glad it did, Bec." He shot her his famous Swanson smile –named by Benji himself- before turning his attention back to the people in front of him.

"Thanks Jesse, that seriously means a lot."

Both of them noticed Chloe making her way back to them, two drinks in hand, as she took careful strides not to spill anything. Jesse stood up from his seat, causing Beca to do the same. The two stood there momentarily, staring at each other, before Jesse pulled Beca into a hug.

"Don't you forget about me, Becaw."

Beca squeezed tighter around his waist as she felt a stinging behind her eyes.

"I won't."

Jesse kissed the top of her head before releasing her, shooting one last smile at her before disappearing into the crowd, passing Chloe on his way. He gave the redhead a tight-lipped smile as he passed, looking over his shoulder one last time to see Chloe reach Beca, kissing her on the cheek. He smiled to himself as he turned back around, starting a search for Benji.

Chloe handed one of the drinks to Beca, keeping to herself that she watched the whole exchange with Jesse from the bar. She took a sip of her drink before placing a hand on Beca's thigh, squeezing reassuringly.

"I love you, Becs."

Beca smiled, turning to face Chloe. Her face was soft and lacking any sarcastic demeanor it normally possessed, and Chloe thought she almost looked like a different person. Almost.

"I love you too, Chlo." She took a sip of her drink, sighing as the cool liquid rushed down her throat.

Chloe stood up suddenly, reaching her hand out for Beca to take. Beca rolled her eyes, taking another gulp out of her cup, before grabbing Chloe's hand and standing up, a devious smirk replacing her smile.

"C'mon, let's go dance."

Beca nodded in agreement as she let Chloe lead her to the middle of the dance floor where they were surrounded by all of their friends. They all attempted a drunken group hug –which ended in Emily falling to the floor and Lilly whispering something about a 'newbie ritual'- before a "Titanium" remix came blasting through the speakers. Chloe's eyes lit up, and Beca knew it was all downhill from here.

As all of her friends jumped excitedly around her to the beat of the song, Beca locked eyes with Chloe, her heart swelling. God, she loved this girl with everything she had, and now she wasn't afraid to admit it.

* * *

As the party started to thin out and people began to disperse, only Beca, Chloe, and a few random Trebles were left. The music died down, and the only sounds that could be heard were distant laughs and inaudible conversations, along with the splashing of water from the pool.

Beca and Chloe were stationed on the edge in the shallow end, feet dipped in, as they glanced up at the night sky, taking in the stars. Chloe rested her head on Beca's shoulder as she sipped out of a water bottle, sighing contently as Beca pointed out the different constellations.

Silence fell between them when Chloe felt Beca shift beneath her. She raised her head and shot the brunette a confused look.

Beca pulled herself out of the pool, collecting her shoes in one hand while she held the other out for Chloe to grab (who was still staring at her with a muddled expression).

"Come on, I want to show you something."

Chloe took Beca's hand and pulled herself up, picking up her shoes as well, before following Beca's lead into the darkness. She wasn't quite sure where they were going once they passed the Bella household, but Beca squeezed Chloe's hand, and suddenly Chloe didn't care so much anymore, just as long as she was with Beca.

After a few more minutes of walking –and regretting that they both didn't put their shoes on before leaving the party- they arrived at the top of a hill that was accented with a single tree. The view was amazing, and even in the dark hours of the morning, lights were still displayed around Barden, painting a beautiful picture against the dark contrast of the sky.

Beca sat down and crossed her legs, patting to the spot next to her for Chloe to sit. The redhead followed, plopping down next to Beca. There was a beat of silence as Chloe took in the view in front of her, temporarily rendered speechless.

"Wow, this is beautiful, Becs." She leaned her head down and rested it back on Beca's shoulder, humming as the younger girl ran a hand through her hair.

"Stacie and I found this spot sophomore year. We've been coming here ever since to just unwind, decompress… to get away from life for a bit." Beca sighed as she stole a quick glance at Chloe, whose eyes glistened in the low lighting of the campus before them, before returning her gaze to the same sight.

Beca continued. "It's where we both realized a lot of things. About ourselves, about our futures." Beca paused, inhaling deeply. "It's where I realized I fell for you."

Chloe lifted her head, staring at Beca, who somehow managed to keep her eyes trained forward, despite the fact that she felt Chloe's gaze burning a hole through her skull.

"Beca…"

Chloe reached for Beca's hand, placing it in her lap, as she ran her thumb over the knuckles. Beca turned to face Chloe, her eyes slightly glossing over.

"I love you, Chlo. I'm in love with you. And you know I'm not good with feelings and words and expressing my emotions, but even if I were good at all of that, I would never be able to form a sentence that really accurately showed how I feel about you."

Beca offered a shy smile, and although she couldn't see Chloe's entire face due to the darkness surrounding them, she knew Chloe was staring back at her and grinning that mega-watt smile she adored so much.

Chloe returned her head to Beca's shoulder, sighing softly at the touch.

"I love you too." She kissed Beca's hand in her lap, holding it to her lips for a few extra seconds for emphasis, before returning to gently grazing her fingers over every contour of Beca's skin.

* * *

She's not sure when they fell asleep, but Beca's sure of one thing now: they were outside in the open, and Chloe was shivering into her side. Beca noted the temperature dropped significantly since the night before as she checked her phone for the time. 7:13 AM.

The sun was already in the air and the birds were chirping around them. Beca noticed the two missed texts and calls from Stacie, but chose to ignore them as she gently shook Chloe, offering a smile when the redhead opened her eyes slowly, rubbing at them with her hands.

"Mmmmm, what time is it?" Chloe questioned, opening her eyes fully and finally taking note of their surroundings. "Also, how did we end up sleeping out _here_?"

Beca shrugged. "I mean it was pretty late when we came up here, but I have no idea what time we fell asleep." She brushed a piece of hair out of Chloe's face, tucking it behind her ear. "We should probably get back before they send a search party out for us."

Chloe groaned, curling more into Beca's side. "Five more minutes, please."

Beca laughed, placing a kiss to Chloe's temple. "Fine, but no more or less."

"Deal."

* * *

Beca and Chloe slowly opened the front door of the house, hesitant of anyone –or anything- that could be potentially waiting for them. Gratefully, no one else was awake at the ungodly hour, and the two slipped into the home with ease. Beca closed the door quietly, checking her phone again for any texts. Nothing.

Chloe leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Beca's lips, smiling into the familiar warmth. She broke it after a few moments, sighing with pleasure, before heading towards the stairs.

"I'm gonna go shower and pack what's left of my things. I'll see you later?"

Beca nodded, watching as the redhead reluctantly trudged up the stairs, before heading to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She tried to hide her hangover from Chloe –because she knew she would never hear the end of it- but now that she was alone, she acknowledged the pounding in her head that had been going on for the past half hour.

As she stepped into the kitchen, she was met with two green eyes staring back at her. _Shit, Stacie._

"And where were YOU last night?" Stacie questioned, raising an eyebrow as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I took Chloe to the hill."

Stacie's face softened immediately, realizing just how important their getaway spot was. "You did?" she questioned, mouth open slightly.

Beca shook her head. "Mhm, after the party. We ended up falling asleep there, hence the reason I didn't answer your texts."

Stacie huffed, uncrossing her arms and sliding her glass of water across the island to Beca (who accepted it readily). "I was worried, you know. Two times in a week I thought you were dead, Mitchell."

Beca shot a tight-lipped smile towards Stacie, eyebrows arched. "Well, mom, I am indeed okay." She took a sip of the water, grateful for the cold substance that would hydrate her and help her back into being a somewhat regular human being.

It was silent for a moment as thoughts bounced in and out of Stacie's head.

"So you really took her to the hill, huh?"

"Yup," Beca answered, popping the 'p.'

"Good."

Beca furrowed her brow, but before she could get a word out, Stacie was already out of the kitchen and up the stairs, her bedroom door shutting behind her a few seconds later. Beca smiled to herself as she gulped down the rest of her water, refilling the glass before heading to her room to finish the packing she procrastinated the past few days.

* * *

It was Saturday, which meant everyone was moving out today (except for Emily). The atmosphere in the house was nothing how it usually was –electric, buzzing, crazy- but instead was replaced with a more gloomy feeling, realizations hitting everyone that their time at Barden was over and everyone was about to get a whole lot more like real adults.

Throughout the day, moving vehicles came and went, and tears were shed. Beca didn't realize how hard it was going to be to just say goodbye to the girls who had such an impact on her life in the past four years.

After some time, only Beca, Chloe, Emily, and Stacie remained.

Beca's pretty sure she's never cried as much as she had this day, and honestly, she doesn't even care anymore. Sure her makeup was smudged and her badass reputation was put into jeopardy, but she doesn't know when she'll see these girls again, and that thought alone is enough to make her break down all over again.

She cried saying goodbye to every single person –even Lilly, despite the creepy chanting she did when hugging Beca back- and she finally figured out who was Jessica and who was Ashley. She felt her sanity being questioned throughout the countless number of tears that were shed, but if being insane meant missing her best friends, then she would gladly claim it.

If it wasn't for Chloe constantly comforting her after every departure, she's not sure she would have made it through the day in once piece. But of course, Chloe was able to put her back together again when she fell apart with no effort, and it still amazed Beca how everything just flowed naturally between them.

Stacie was the last to move out, and honestly, it was the hardest for Beca. After snarky comments and sarcastic jabs were exchanged between the two, Beca collapsed into the taller brunette's arms, wishing her the best with everything and making her promise they would keep in touch.

"Don't worry Bec, I'll visit you and Chloe **all** the time. You'll end up getting sick of me."

Beca glanced up for a second, her watery eyes meeting Stacie's, before both girls fell into each other's embrace again, not wanting to let go. Emily watched from a distance with Chloe, giving the girls the space they desperately needed.

"Thanks for always being there for me, Stace," Beca croaked out, nearly choking on her own words.

"Anytime, kiddo."

The two released their death grips on each other, and after Stacie had bid farewell to Chloe and Emily, she hopped into the vehicle, started up her engine, and pulled away from the house.

Beca stood in the front yard waving, tears rushing down her cheeks, and Chloe swears it looked like a scene out of one of her favorite movies.

With a sigh, Beca headed inside and grabbed her keys from the now-empty shelf, trailing around the back of the house to retrieve their uHaul (which Fat Amy joked about earlier, stating the typical time lesbians move in together while dating was seven months, not seventy-two hours). Once she pulled it up in front of the house, she stepped out and took a deep breath, glancing at the home in front of her.

The house where countless memories were created, where friendships were born, where multitudes of laughs echoed throughout the halls. She was going to miss it all, she really was. Hell, she already missed her friends and it's only been a few hours since the first of them left.

Beca inhaled deeply again before heading into the house, kissing Chloe briefly at the entrance. As they were loading boxes into the back of the truck, Beca kept stealing kisses from Chloe. Emily smiled at how cute they were being, but Chloe knew Beca was nervous and trying to cope with her emotions before they flooded her system, shutting down her entire being.

Chloe knew she was like an anchor for Beca, keeping her grounded so she wouldn't go off on her own, which is why she knew Beca needed to do little things like give her small kisses in order to keep her mind off of the inevitable truth; the fact that they were leaving Barden.

Once they were finally packed, the three stood on the front steps of the house, glancing at each other. Beca tossed the keys to Emily -who somehow caught them despite her clumsiness- before lunging into a hug on the younger girl.

"Take care of this place for me, will you?"

Emily nodded her head eagerly, giving a reassuring smile to Beca and Chloe.

"Don't worry guys, I've got it covered." A pause. "Thanks for everything."

Chloe's not sure who started crying first, but before she knew it, she was cradling both Beca and Emily in her arms, tears streaming down their faces. With her own tears added into the mix, it was proving more and more difficult to actually see.

With blurred vision, she untangled everyone's limbs from each other, grateful that the task was easier than she thought it would be. She gave Emily one last hug –Beca following her example- before grabbing Beca's hand and walking towards the uHaul.

Emily stood on the front steps still, tears streaming down her face, as she excitedly waved goodbye, house key swinging from her fingertips.

Chloe opened the door for Beca, who hoisted herself up into her seat, cursing the makers of the truck for thinking everyone was six feet tall. Chloe laughed and slammed the door shut, circling the vehicle and getting in her side (with far less complications than Beca had).

The two glanced at each other as Chloe turned the key and started the truck, the engine revving to life.

Immediately she reached for the radio controls, plugging in her phone and putting on Taylor Swift's newest album.

Beca rolled her eyes, and although she secretly enjoyed the music, she would never admit that to Chloe. Little did she know, she would never have to, because Chloe just knew. Chloe always knew, because Chloe just got her.

Beca grabbed Chloe's hand, kissing it gently, before staring out her window back at their house and at Emily who was still waving like an idiot. They waved one more time before looking back at each other, eyes filled with tears but also with a sense of love and compassion and excitement to start this new chapter of their lives together.

Beca smiled at Chloe, because whether this girl knew it or not, she was Beca's world. Honestly, she always had been since she started at Barden; she was just too dense to realize. But now, sitting here, across from Chloe, Beca knew. She knew that this was what she wanted, and she just hoped Chloe wanted the same.

As it turns out, Chloe did.

And honestly, there should have never been a doubt in Beca's mind to begin with, because Chloe loved her and continued to love her through heartaches and hardships, and Chloe would continue to love Beca, even if the brunette tried to push her away at times.

Beca knew it would be hard, but she also knew it would be worth it. And god, to see Chloe's face every morning, that was enough of a reward.

As Chloe's hand lingered on the shift stick, she smiled at Beca, the corners of her mouth turning up so much that her eyes crinkled at the corners. She took in a deep breath, exhaling loudly, as she watched Beca do the same.

She shifted the truck into drive as "You Are in Love" played in the background.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

* * *

 **A/N:** And just like that, the story is over. Thank you SO much to everyone who was left reviews/kudos/done anything at all to support this fic. This was my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic, and I can honestly say I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! If you want to contact me for prompts or anything, feel free to message me on here! Once again, thank you guys for everything; it was an amazing ride.


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